Lionel Messi, following his win of the eighth Ballon d’Or in his illustrious career, expressed on Monday that he’s not dwelling on his long-term future, choosing instead to relish the current moment. The 36-year-old claimed the prestigious award after an outstanding performance in the previous season, notably guiding Argentina to victory in the World Cup held in Qatar.
In his interviews with various media, including AFP, after receiving the award in Paris, Messi emphasized the exceptional significance of this accolade. “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,” Messi stated. “That is the trophy everyone wants to win the most, and it was a dream come true for me, my teammates, and my country.”
His exceptional leadership led Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar, a triumph that marked a pinnacle in his remarkable career and solidified his claim to the Ballon d’Or, triumphing over tough competition from players like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, who ranked second and third in the final voting, respectively. Kevin De Bruyne secured the fourth position.
The Argentine maestro, who secured seven goals during the World Cup and earned the title of the tournament’s best player after Argentina’s victory against France in the final, acknowledged his incredible achievement. However, Messi, who received his first Ballon d’Or in 2009, acknowledged his underwhelming final season at Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
Regarding the possibility of securing more Ballon d’Or awards in the future, possibly after the 2026 World Cup, Messi downplayed the idea, stating, “I am not thinking about the long-term future. I am just enjoying the day-to-day at the moment.”
Looking ahead, Messi highlighted the upcoming Copa America in the United States, where he’s currently based, aiming to defend their title. “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,” he said.
Reflecting on his two-year stint at PSG, Messi admitted that it didn’t unfold as he anticipated when he moved from Barcelona in 2021. “Things didn’t turn out as I hoped, but I enjoyed the city a lot, and my kids liked it a lot and found it hard to leave,” Messi explained. “It is a spectacular city, and I was lucky to live here. Football-wise it did not go the way I hoped, but I prefer to remember the many good things.”
