Lionel Messi has refused to accept the tag of being the greatest footballer of all time after winning the 2023 Ballon d’Or award.
Messi won the 8th Ballon d’Or award in his career on October 30, 2023, an unprecedented feat in the award’s history.
Lionel Messi had a glorious outing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, helping Argentina win the tournament.
The 36-year-old also had an impressive season at club level last season, which saw him score 21 goals and provide 20 assists in 41 appearances for Paris Saint Germain.
Messi exited PSG at the expiration of the 2022/23 season, and he subsequently joined MLS club Inter Miami in July 2023.
The 36-year-old assisted the Miami-based club to win the Leagues Cup, less than a month after his arrival.
Lionel Messi scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists in 14 appearances for Inter Miami in 2023.
Speaking on the podium after winning the 2023 Ballon d’Or award, the Argentine said:
“Well, as always, I don’t know if I’m the best, if I am or not, and it’s not something that I ask myself or that I’m interested in.”
While speaking about his disinterest in the conversation, Messi acknowledged that being mentioned amongst the best is a “gift”.
Messi’s statement on being tagged the greatest footballer of all time
“But the fact that maybe in the future it will be said that I can be among the best, as they say, is a gift for me.
“It’s something very special. Football is played by everyone, everywhere. From a very young age, every kid wants to be a footballer, to be a professional, and for them to tell me that I can be among the best, for me, it is an honour, a great pride, and that’s it.”
The 36-year-old has scored 721 club goals and provided 344 assists in 889 appearances so far in his career.
His statement typifies what many have over time attributed as a trait of the Argentine, terming him as being humble.
Despite what he has achieved thus far in his career, Lionel Messi continues to embody the attributes of a modest footballer.
The former Paris Saint Germain man ticked a long-term career ambition off his bucket list in December 2022, winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Lionel Messi career achievements
Messi has won many other trophies, including; 4 UEFA Champions League trophies, 12 League titles – 10 Spanish La Liga, 2 French Ligue 1, and 3 FIFA Club World Cups, amongst many others.
Individually, Lionel Messi has also won many awards, including; 2 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, and 2 The Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award.
The 36-year-old has a gigantic fan-base, who believe he is the greatest footballer of all time, while that is debatable, it is a known fact that he is one of the greatest players of all time.
