On Monday (Oct 30), Argentina captain and Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi scripted history by claiming his eighth Ballon d’Or award. He edged past Norway’s UEFA Player of the Year and treble winner Erling Haaland of Manchester City to win the prestigious award for the eighth time, most ever by a significant margin, and extended his lead over arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo (5) by three.

Messi has now finished among the top three a record 14 times overall, finishing runner-up on five instances. After the award, he was asked in the media interaction whether he views himself as the best ever in history. To this, the 36-year-old said, “Well, as always, I don’t know if I’m the best, if I am or not, and 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.”

main img

Messi reveals if he will return to Europe Photograph:(Reuters)

‘I think I deserve to be able to say goodbye to those people….’

After Messi’s extension at the Paris-Saint Germain was ruled out early this year, many believed he could return to his home club Barcelona, which gave a massive boost to his career in the initial years. However, it didn’t happen as the legendary footballer moved to the MLS club Inter Miami in mid-July. Asked if he wants to make a return to Bara, Messi revealed, “I don’t know. I really don’t know. Obviously, I would love to be able to say goodbye to the people in a different way, because I think there was a weird feeling when I left, and I think it’s not good with everything that we shared and lived, along with everything that they gave me.”

Barcelona: Messi: My wish was to return to Barcelona and retire there, but it wasn't possible | Marca

He added, “I told the club that we shouldn’t finish in the way we have finished. I think I deserve to be able to say goodbye to those people that we have shared so much joy and sadness throughout my career at Barcelona, in my home. I love the club, I love the people of Barcelona and well, so be it. I’m delighted I could be there, obviously.”

Messi ended with a whopping 672 goals for the Spanish club in 778 games from 2004-05 to 2020-21.

Messi faced a tough fight from Haaland and Kylian Mbappe but eventually got hold of the prestigious award once again in his illustrious career. Last year, he helped Argentina lift the FIFA World Cup, in Qatar in a thrilling final versus France and ended up scoring seven goals in total. In addition, he was named the tournament’s best player.

The superstar also dedicated the award to Argentina and world football’s all-time great Diego Maradona, who would have celebrated his 63rd birthday on Monday.

Meanwhile, Spain’s World Cup-winning star Aitana Bonmati took the women’s prize on the stage of the Chatelet Theatre in Paris.

 

This Simple Trick Will Block All Ads On Your WindowsSafer Online Tips

Why Melbourne is the Best Place for Your Child to StudyDeakin University, Australia

Spanish woman gang rape case: Jharkhand High Court takes suo moto cognisance of crimeIn India’s Jharkhand, the state High Court has taken suo moto cognisance of the gang rape of a Spanish woman, who along with her husband was on a motorbike tour near Dumka.  On Monday (March 5), the court, highlighting the gravity of the situation, said, “The incident of crime of any kind against aWion News

Windows Users Didn’t Know This Simple Trick To Block All Ads (Do It Now)Removing ads is the first step in having a faster, safer and hassle-free browsing experience!Safer Online Tips

The Benefits of Living in On Campus at UniversityDeakin University, Australia

If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted.Combat Siege