In an effort to savor taking home his eighth Ballon d’Or in his illustrious career, Lionel Messi stated on Monday that he was not considering his long-term future.
After leading Argentina to victory at the World Cup in Qatar the previous season, Messi, 36, took over as the winner of the accolade from Karim Benzema.
At a ceremony in Paris, Messi accepted his trophy. “The last one I won was also thanks to what we achieved with the Argentine national team in the Copa America (in 2021), but this one is much more special because it comes after we won the World Cup,” he expressed.
“That is the trophy everyone wants to win the most, and it was a dream come true for me, my teammates and my country.”
Messi overcame fierce competition from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in particular to win the Ballon d’Or as he led Argentina to victory in Qatar, capping his incredible career.
In the end, Mbappe finished third, Kevin De Bruyne finished fourth, and Haaland came in second.
After Argentina defeated France on penalties in the World Cup final in Doha, former Barcelona star Lionel Messi scored seven goals and was crowned the tournament’s best player.
However, Messi, who took home the Ballon d’Or in 2009, also had a lackluster last season with Paris Saint-Germain before departing to play Major League Soccer for Inter Miami.
He downplayed rumors that he may return for another Ballon d’Or, perhaps following the 2026 World Cup at the age of 39.
“We have a Copa America coming up in the United States, where I am now, in which we are the holders, so I am looking forward to coming into that in good shape and then just see how I am getting on from there.”
