The captain of Argentina has now won the prize three times more than his nearest competitor, Cristiano Ronaldo, and it is difficult to see any of the younger players, such as Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland, breaking his record. This player is 36 years old.
The French newspaper L’Équipe, a member of the same media organization that also oversees the Ballon d’Or, has published a portion of its full interview with Messi. over the weekend.
The former Barcelona star shares his thoughts on his long-standing rivalry with Ronaldo, whether he believes he will win the award again, and who he believes will rule world football in the years to come.
Regarding Messi’s Ballon d’Or record: “I think it partly depends on me always wanting to improve every day and always trying to achieve more. I always say that I am a person who likes to win and does not like to lose.
I always try to compete and give my best, with good preparation. I like football. That is my passion, what I dreamed about since I was a child. I gave everything to have the career I have.”
Regarding rival Ronaldo, the Argentine striker expressed: “In terms of sports, the competition between us is really good. We beat each other because we wanted to win the race. Ronaldo always wants to beat everyone and win everything.
It was a great time for us and football lovers in general. I think what we’ve been doing for so long is admirable. Getting what you want is easy, but keeping it there is difficult. We have been at the top for 10-15 years. That’s very difficult to maintain. It was unbelievable and I have fond memories for everyone who loves football.”
About rising stars Haaland, Mbappe, and Messi—or himself—winning the 2024 Golden Ball, Messi stated candidly: “The truth is that I stopped thinking about the Golden Ball a long time ago.
I’ve said before that it’s never been a priority for me and it’s become even less of a priority now, after everything I’ve achieved in my career and at this stage of my life. I thought this would be my last Ballon d’Or and I’m happy that I achieved everything and became a player with eight Ballon d’Or. I’m happy!”.
