Lionel Messi, the Argentine captain and current Inter Miami player, achieved a remarkable feat on Monday. He became the first player in the history of football to win the Ballon d’Or a record eighth time. He was able to do so by surpassing Norway’s former UEFA Player-of-the-Year and treble-winning Manchester City forward Erling Haaland. By winning the coveted trophy he extended his Ballon d’Or lead to three over Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo had previously won the award five times. However, Messi refused to label himself as ‘the best player ever’ when asked about it after the ceremony.
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The debate among Messi & Ronaldo fans about who is the greatest of all time has been a regular occurrence in the football circuit. Messi has almost put that debate to bed after winning his eighth Ballon d’Or. It is also important to remember that Messi has a World Cup to his name, something that Ronaldo is missing in his trophy cabinet. However, Messi refused to be drawn into the G.O.A.T debate, saying he is ‘not interested’ in a debate of that kind.
Not Interested: Lionel Messi
After the award, he was asked in the media interaction whether he views himself as the best ever in history. The 36-year-old said, “Well, as always, I don’t know if I’m the best, if I am or not. It’s not something that I ask myself or that I’m interested in. But the fact that maybe in the future it will be said that I can be among the best, as they say, is a gift for me. It’s something very special.”
“Football is played by everyone, everywhere. From a very young age, every kid wants to be a footballer, to be a professional, and for them to tell me that I can be among the best, for me, it is an honour, a great pride, and that’s it,” he added.
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