The point is that Messi has countless of fans around the world and also among journalists and football officials from the large associations. It is quite normal that at some point his reputation and recognition is set in stone and people love him for how he still played and how he has played in the past. Psychologically I understand when is hardcore fans feel that he should become it again and honestly, I think Messi is still the best player in the world who now lacks speed. But his skills as a player on the pitch are unmatched in my opinion.
Regardless of FIFA playing a role here to help Messi or not, another factor that determines the Ballon D'Or is the voting of selected players, coaches, legends and sports journalists from around the world. If we talk about fans, maybe Ronaldo is number one because he has the most followers in the world on Instagram. However, it could be that more people who voted supported Messi than Ronaldo. Yes, whatever it is, I think Messi deserves the Ballon D'Or even though there is a bit of controversy there.