Football
Lionel Messi Wins Ballon d'Or For a Record Seventh Time
by privatebet.com - 2021/11/30
2021 has been a rollercoaster year for Lionel Messi, and it seems he’s going to end it with a bang. The Argentine football icon picked up the prestigious award Ballon d'Or for a record seventh time. Messi accepted the award during Monday's ceremony in France and admitted he didn’t expect he’ll receive it again after 2019. The PSG striker said he’s very happy and excited to be there and looking forward to facing new challenges. "I do not know how long I have left, but I hope it will be a long time. I want to thank my teammates from Barcelona and PSG, and especially the Argentina team. I won this award, and I had the feeling that I was missing something, and this year I was able to achieve it,” said Messi in his acceptance speech. Messi edged out Bayern Munich's striker Robert Lewandowski, who came in second with a total of 580 points. Chelsea’s midfielder Jorginho took third place with 460 points. Ballon d'Or is rewarded by the French news magazine France Football, and it’s highly regarded as the most prestigious individual football award. Messi holds the record as the most-awarded player with a total of seven wins, and he’s closely followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five.