“Miami are truly honoured to have the best” – David Beckham pays fitting tribute to Lionel Messi after presenting him with 8th Ballon d'Or
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham reacted on social media after presenting Lionel Messi with his eighth Ballon d'Or trophy on Monday (October 30).
Messi joined Beckham's side in the summer after deciding to exit Pari Saint-Germain (PSG). He's had a wonderful start to life in the USA, bagging 11 goals and five assists from 14 appearances so far.
Posting a couple of images of himself and Messi, Beckham wrote on his Instagram account:
"Huge honour to present Leo with his 8th Ballon D’or tonight in Paris x such a special night for Leo and his family and it was a privilege to be there to celebrate such an incredible achievement, Miami are truly honoured to have The Best. congratulations my friend @leomessi @intermiamicf."
The duo have seemingly grown close and have even been spotted enjoying dinner together. David's wife, Victoria Beckham, shared snaps of both families spending time on her Instagram profile.
Many believed Messi to be the favorite for this year's Ballon d'Or award after leading Argentina to World Cup success in Qatar last year. He bagged seven goals and finished with the most assists in the competition (three). The Barcelona icon was also awarded the Golden Ball for being the tournament's best player.
Additionally, Messi ended his club career in France, bagging 21 goals and 20 assists from 41 appearances across all competitions last year for PSG.
David Beckham vows to celebrate Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or success in Miami
Former Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder David Beckham has promised to celebrate Lionel Messi's eighth Ballon d'Or victory when the duo return to Miami.
Beckham presented Messi with the individual honor in the French capital, putting the latter three clear of arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Speaking after the announcement, the former footballer said (via Mirror):
"It's very special to say he's a Miami player and he's in our city. He'll celebrate this with his teammates and his family in his way. We'll do our best to celebrate it in the Miami way. I'm sure we can do a good party."
The 36-year-old previously won the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021. This time out, he beat Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who bagged 52 goals across all competitions last season, to the Ballor d'Or title.