By: EFE
By: EFE
The Argentine Lionel Messi , currently in the Paris Saint-Germain , rose this Monday with the Ballon d’Or from France Football magazine, which he has already won seven times.
The former footballer Barcelona beat the Polish Robert Lewandowski and the French Karim Benzema in the classification of this award which was created in 1956.
Messi, the last to win it in 2019, since last year I did not know delivered because of the pandemic, asserted the victory of Argentina in the Copa América and the Copa del Rey with Barça , in addition to having finished the season as the top scorer in his championship.
It is the first it was time that a PSG player won the prize and the first time that it fell to the French league since 1991 did the Frenchman Jean-Pierre Pappin, who was from Olympique de Marseille.
But Messi acknowledged that it was thanks to the victory in the Copa América , 28 years later, so he wanted to send a A special dedication to his teammates from the Albiceleste.
“Several times I had to win this award and I had the impression that I was missing something with Argentina. This year the dream I had been looking for for years could happen, that escaped me and finally arrived. This award is for that, for what we did in the Copa América and I want to share it with them, ”he said.
The player recalled that two years ago, when he won the last Ballon d’Or, r he recognized that he had only a few years left and that everyone began to ask him about his retirement.
“I didn’t know if I could be here again, they asked me about my retirement party and now I’m here in Paris, very happy, excited about new challenges. I don’t know how much I have left but I hope it will be a lot , because I have a lot of fun, “he said. .
He assured that, for the first time, he was awarded a Ballon d’Or in the city where he lives , so he assured that he will celebrate it with his family.
OFFICIAL. Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi achieves the seventh of his career, more than any other footballer in history. Tremendous Lionel. pic.twitter.com/mai6b6TBQg— Central Judge (@Central Judge) November 28, 2021
Messi becomes the the only player to reach seven Ballons d’Or and outnumber the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, who won five and was not on the podium for the first time from 2010.
This year he was not a natural favorite, but his triumph in the Copa América ended up unbalancing the balance against Lewandowski, who saw Bayern Munich fall in the semifinals of the Champions League with him injured and that Poland could not overcome the first round of the Eurocup despite his three goals.
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