Ballon D’Or is one of the highest awards for a footballer. It is a prestigious recognition of the best player of the year. Every footballer dreams of acquiring the trophy once in their lifetime. However, the scenario is quite different with Lionel Messi. Messi has been one of the legends of modern-day soccer.
The athlete has awed everyone with his mesmerizing display of football. The Argentine star has won a lot of awards in his career. The most significant of them is his dominance over the Ballon d’Or. Messi has won the award a record number of seven times. The 2021 trophy was the seventh time he became the best player in the world.
Lionel Messi‘s path to success was not a smooth ride at all. He was devastated by the news of leaving Barcelona. After a significant amount of dilemma, he decided to join Paris Saint Germain. However, his overall performance was on point as usual. He was the highest scorer for FC Barcelona last season. Messi also guided his team to a historic Copa America championship. All these factors added up to make Leo the winner for the seventh time.
Ballon d’Or Handed To The Deserving Winner?
A lot of controversies surrounded the decision of Messi to win the award. Many experts believe Robert Lewandoski was the deserving candidate. However, it seems that the right decision was made. Messi’s team,(FC Barcelona) had a lackluster season last year. They finished in third place. However, Messi himself did not fail to impress. A huge chunk of Barca’s success came courtesy of the Argentine.
Lionel Messi now holds the record for having the most number of Ballon d’Or. No one in history has won the title more than thrice except Cristiano Ronaldo(5). With Messi now in a new setup, it will be interesting to see how he plays in the upcoming years.