Lionel Messi wins the prestigious Ballon d’Or awrad for the record seventh time. The award is presented annually by French news magazine France Football and considered one of the greatest awards in football.
Messi had already became the only person to win six Ballon d’Or awards after his win in 2019. Now he has taken one more step ahead with the seventh win. Messi had consecutively won the award from 2009 to 2012 and again in 2015 and in 2019.
Second to Messi, Portugal football legend Cristiano Ronaldo has most Ballon d’Or awards in the bag. He has won the award five times.
France Football didn’t present the award last year due to the pandemic and this time’s award is for the achievement in 2020-21 period. During the period, Messi again proved his talent by helping Argentina to win the Copa America Cup and he was the crucial presence in Barcelona for their winning of the 2021 Copa del Rey.
It is also in 2021 that Messi left his long career in Barcelona and started playing for Paris St. Germain (PSG).
“It’s incredible to be here again,” Messi said after receiving the award. “Two years ago I thought it was the last time. Winning the Copa América was the key.”
“I don’t know how many years I have left, but I hope many more.” The 34-year-old added.
Messi finished with 613 points in the voting, only 33 more than the runner-up, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. In 2019, the last time the trophy was awarded, Messi beat Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk by only seven points.