The Ballon d’Or is one of the most prestigious individual awards a footballer can have. Many great players like Robert Lewandowski have failed to get their hands on the title, while others like Kareim Benzema only have one. Lionel Messi, on the other hand, has won the trophy eight times, and his rival Cristiano Ronaldo has also been crowned champion five times.
The two G.O.A.Ts make winning look so easy. Though Leo has won this year, and it seems like this will be his last Ballon d’Or award, as the player has left Europe and is also not playing in any of the major international tournaments. Lionel Messi now believes that his former teammate Kylian Mbappe will now start to dominate the Ballon d’Or race.
Lionel Messi tips Mbappe for future Ballon d’Or wins
On October 30, 2023, Lionel Messi was presented with his eighth Ballon d’Or award by his current club owner, David Beckham. The Argentine winger received the award for his exceptional performance at the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup, where he beat former champion France and led his team to victory. The 36-year-old also received the Golden Ball award for his performance, and all of this was enough for him to be crowned the winner this year.
Since this will be his last Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi believes that Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe will now start to dominate. “He had a very good season, notably a spectacular World Cup; he almost spoiled the final for us with his goals. It seems to me—as I have already said several times—that he is one of the footballers who can win the Ballon d’Or every year because he is clearly one of the very best players in the world,” he said.
The 2022 World Cup winner also talked about Erling Haaland, saying that he will also win it in the coming years. “Erling deserved it very much too; he has won the Premier League and Champions League while being the top scorer in everything. This award could have been yours today, too. I’m sure in the next few years you will win it.”
Messi reveals European interest in the summer
After having a bad stint at Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi decided to bid his farewell to the club in the summer of 2023. Though talks of him making a return to Barcelona were in the air, he decided to go in a different direction and ended up joining David Beckham’s Inter Miami. Since his arrival at the club, Leo has won the League Cup with his team and has also been given the captaincy of the squad.
Though the Argentine is currently in America, he has revealed that several clubs from Europe and Saudi Arabia are still interested in him. In an interview, he said he has many offers on the table, but he is happy where he is. “I had many offers on the table this year, including multiple European clubs and Saudi Arabia. We decided to come to Miami, and it is a decision we are happy with; we feel good,” said Messi.
It seems like Lionel Messi has a lot of faith in his former PSG teammate, and from Kylian Mbappe’s current performance, it looks like what Leo said might turn out to be true after all.
