2023-10-31 04:15:20
Lionel Messi goes a little further into the history of football. This Monday evening, on the occasion of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, organized at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Argentinian was named best player of the season for the eighth time in 14 editions. World champion last December, Pulga beat Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé.
This World Cup weighed heavily in the balance. Because at club, Lionel Messi’s season was much more complicated. Highly criticized and at the end of his career at Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentinian could do nothing to avoid the elimination of his team in the round of 16 against Bayern Munich. However, he logically won Ligue 1. But it was above all his performance at the World Cup, punctuated by two goals in the final against France, which convinced the voters to offer him this trophy for the eighth time.
“A pleasure that will never leave me”
“I would like to thank everyone who allowed me to win this prize today,” declared the world champion while receiving his trophy. My teammates, my coach from the Argentina team, all the technical staff for what we did. I congratulate Kylian and everyone else, you were extraordinary. (…) Tonight, I’m enjoying it, it’s a pleasure that will never leave me. And I hope to be able to continue this for several years. Becoming world champion is the title that we were missing and I would like to thank everyone who made this possible. »
Lionel Messi also took the opportunity to have a thought for Diego Maradona, who died in 2020 and who would have celebrated his 63rd birthday on October 30. “I wanted to thank Diego,” he said. There’s no better time to wish him the best. He was an extraordinary player, with extraordinary talent. This title and this trophy, I share it with you and all our Argentinian comrades. »
A first title in 2009
The former king of Barcelona has been on top of the world for 16 years now. Already in 2007, Lionel Messi reached the podium for the Ballon d’Or, beaten by Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. The following year, he climbed to the second step, before reaching the holy grail for the first time in 2009. The Argentinian and his great Portuguese rival then shared this trophy for ten seasons, before Luka Modric came put an end to this hegemony. Lionel Messi, however, won two additional Ballons d’Or, in 2019 and 2021, overtaking Cristiano Ronaldo at the same time.
This eighth title will continue to fuel the legend of the quadruple winner of the Champions League. Already the record holder for the number of Golden Balls won, the Argentinian will now be very difficult to catch. Behind him, Cristiano Ronaldo, stuck at five victories, no longer seems to be able to win it since his departure for Al-Nassr. Only two other players still active appear on the list: Karim Benzema and Luka Modric. But they too are far from a new coronation.
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