Messi: It would be crazy if I won Ballon d’Or

Carlo Garganese

Updated: 2 Nov 2021 09:19 GMT
3 min read

PSG star Lionel Messi warms up against RB Leipzig — © ProShots

Lionel Messi says it would be “crazy” if he was to win a record seventh Ballon d’Or this month.

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Messi is one of the favourites to lift football’s most prestigious individual prize when it is announced on November 29.

The Argentine superstar has already won the Golden Ball on six occasions and is in the running again following a year in which he led Argentina to Copa America glory.

What did Messi say about Ballon d’Or?

“If I am honest, I don’t think about it,” he told Sport. “My best award was what I could achieve with the national team.

“After fighting and struggling so much for this achievement, it took the maximum toll on us.

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“If the Balon d’Or arrives it would be extraordinary for what it would mean to win one more.

“The seventh would be crazy. If not, no problem. I have already achieved one of my biggest objectives. I am very happy for what has happened and now what will happen will happen.”

🎙Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 on the Ballon d'Or: "If I'm honest, I don't think about it. My biggest reward was what I was able to win with the national team. If the Ballon d'Or came, it would be extraordinary. Otherwise, nothing special." [RMC] pic.twitter.com/vG1eDs1uKq
— RouteOneFootball (@Route1futbol) November 1, 2021

For the last few months, Messi had been the red-hot favourite to win the 2022 Ballon d’Or.

However, over the last week, he has been overtaken by Robert Lewandowski as the favourite with the bookmakers.

The Bayern Munich striker is coming off another sensational year of goalscoring, hitting the back of the net 48 times in 40 games in 2020-21 alone.

Other contenders for the Ballon d’Or include Jorginho, who won the Champions League and Euro 2020, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid attacker Karim Benzema.

Messi joined PSG on a Bosman transfer this summer from Barcelona but has yet to score a league goal for his new team.