Lionel Messi to receive award from Spanish publication, set to be recognized as 'the greatest' and 'best among the best' - Reports
Lionel Messi is reportedly set to receive the MARCA Award on October 17 at the Chase Stadium in the United States of America. The award will hail him as 'the greatest, the best among the best, and the number one among the number ones'.
As per reports by All About Argentina, Spanish outlet MARCA will present Lionel Messi with the eponymous award on October 17 at Chase Stadium, Miami. It comes after the Argentine set a record by winning 46 trophies in his career for club and country. These include four Champions League titles, 10 La Liga titles, two Copa America titles, and one World Cup among other accolades for club and country.
Additionally, Messi has also won several individual awards, including a record eight Ballons d'Or. He's also won three FIFA The Best awards, six European Golden Shoes, and two World Cup Golden Balls among others.
Despite being at the twilight of his career at the age of 37, Lionel Messi has been in sensational form for Inter Miami. The Argentine led his side to win the 2024 Supporter's Shield on October 2 after their 3-2 win over Columbus Crew. Messi scored a brace in the game, while Luis Suarez sealed the deal with the third goal from the winning side. It marked the first time the club won the shield in their brief history.
With only one game left in the MLS regular season, Messi will seek to expand his trophy cabinet by winning the MLS title with the Herons for the first time. He also notably led the club to win the 2023 Leagues Cup, marking their first trophy win.
"I was lucky to achieve everything" - When Lionel Messi claimed he has won everything in football following 2022 World Cup triumph
In a 2023 interview with ESPN Argentina, Lionel Messi said he is grateful to have achieved everything in football following his 2022 World Cup triumph with Argentina. He said (via GOAL):
"I was lucky to achieve everything at the club level in Barcelona and also at the individual level. It [the World Cup] was the only one I was missing. There are few players who can say they achieved everything. And thank God I'm one of them."
The Argentine added:
"With effort, sacrifice, work, and humility, in the end, you achieve your goals. The road can be hard, but you have to keep fighting for your dreams to try to achieve them. Sometimes it happens, other times it doesn't, but you never have to stop to try it. I love playing ball, I love coming to the national team, I love being on the premises and before I couldn't enjoy it like today."
Messi's success with the national team came after multiple heartbreaks. La Pulga famously lost three finals with La Albiceleste, namely the 2014 World Cup and the Copa America in 2015 and 2016. In disappointment, Messi temporarily retired from the national team after the 2016 Copa America loss, before changing his mind for the love of the Albiceleste shirt.
Lionel Messi reflected on his journey of winning two consecutive Copa Americas and the World Cup with Argentina. He compared it to a movie that no one could imagine would turn out this way.