“I have already won and achieved everything in football” – Lionel Messi makes defiant claim on 2023 Ballon d'Or race
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi recently shared his thoughts on being in the race for the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
The Argentine ace has already won a record seven Ballons d'Or, two more than the next best Cristiano Ronaldo. He is in the race to get his hands on the coveted award for the eighth time after having a brilliant 2022-23 season.
Lionel Messi scored 11 goals and provided 15 assists in 34 games across competitions for Paris Saint-Germain, helping them win the Ligue 1 title. More notably, he captained Argentina to their first FIFA World Cup trophy in 36 years.
The 36-year-old scored seven goals and provided three assists in seven games in the tournament. As a result, he became the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball twice.
Messi recently spoke about potentially winning the 2023 Ballon d'Or, saying (via The European Lad):
"I never gave it much importance as I always said I prefer club trophies. I am not thinking about it. If it arrives, it's good, if not, nothing happens. I have already won and achieved everything in football. Now I am just enjoying the moment."
Lionel Messi has now moved to Inter Miami CF and has already helped them reach the Leagues Cup final, scoring nine goals in six games. The Herons could win their first-ever trophy on Saturday (August 19) if they beat Nashville in the final.
When Wayne Rooney picked his 2023 Ballon d'Or winner between Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland
While the 2022-23 season saw some excellent performances, the 2023 Ballon d'Or could come down to two competitors - Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
While Messi won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina and Ligue 1 title with PSG, Haaland won the treble with Manchester City. He broke numerous records in his first season in the Premier League, including the most goals scored in a single season (36).
Former Manchester United striker Rooney backed Haaland to win the Ballon d'Or this year over the former Barcelona forward. In his column for The Times, Rooney wrote:
“Erling Haaland is the best footballer in the world right now. Lionel Messi is the greatest but, at this moment, nobody is playing better than a striker who — even though I broke records in that position myself — takes my breath away with the levels he’s reaching."
He added:
"He’s the best in the world because of the numbers he’s posting, the performances he’s putting in and the mentality he shows.”
Haaland scored 52 goals and provided nine assists in 53 games across competitions for Manchester City last season.