Greatness and Messi aren’t really far apart, as his career, stats, and trophies will vouch for how great he is. Even if you strip him of all the silver and gold, his talent alone is indeed ‘out of this world’.
As he finished his story by lifting the 2022 World Cup, the fans and the pundits speculated about this moment. And last night, imagination turned into reality as the little Argentine grabbed his eighth Ballon d’Or.
Inter Miami’s current captain not only delivered a dream performance for his country but also outshone faces such as Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Kylian Mbappe. In comparison, Haaland and KDB were part of the treble-winning Manchester City team and carried significant influence.
And Messi’s ex-PSG teammate was a leader not only in France’s journey to the World Cup final but also helped PSG win the double.
Now, this win takes Messi’s Ballon d’Or tally to a whopping 8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023) and he beats his closest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, by a margin of 3.
Messi didn’t share this stage alone, as his Argentine teammate Emiliano Martínez grabbed the Yashin Trophy, the recognition for being the best goalkeeper in the game for the year. They both partnered as Argentina flew through the WC. Messi set the record for being the one who scored at every round of the World Cup, and Martinez saved Argentina in critical penalties.
With the joy comes the saddening fact that this event might mark the end of the Messi-Ronaldo era as both move away from Europe. Nevertheless, what an era it was! Two footballing geniuses gracing the face of the earth at the same time is a rare occurrence, and we are just lucky to witness it.
