Lionel Messi shocks Erling Haaland to win eighth Ballon d’Or title
The 21st century poster boy, Lionel Messi, has won the coveted Ballon d’Or prize for an unassailable eighth time, beating out stiff competition from Manchester City star Erling Haaland.
Having added a final feather in his cap by spearheading Argentina to the FIFA World Cup crown last year, no one in the 30-man shortlist came close to the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona forward when the votes were tabulated.
“I couldn’t imagine having the career that I’ve had. Everything that I’ve achieved. The fortune I’ve had playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies,” Messi said.
Last season’s winner, Karim Benzema, finished 16th on the list that also features 2018 Ballon d’Or recipient Luka Modric in 10th place. Kylian Mbappe, who is a constant on this list, finished third behind Haaland and the Argentine.
Indeed, three of the top five included Man City stars. Messi’s critics have rightly pointed at Haaland’s 52 goals and a treble-winning season, but the 36-year-old upstaged the odds for the umpteenth time in his career. Haaland is sure to participate in this resplendent ceremony for years to come, but for an individual to have won it an astonishing eight times, it’s difficult to handpick one as the best amongst the rest.
“To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing. All of them [Ballon d’Or awards] are special for different reasons,” he added.
Messi became the first player from the MLS to win the most prestigious individual award, however, it’s fair to say the Player of the Tournament at the World Cup (seven goals, three assists) and another 20-plus-goal season at the club level earned him the crown.
In other news, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati deservedly swept the Ballon d’Or Feminin trophy, after a truly astounding year that saw her win the Liga F, Champions League as well as the World Cup with Spain.
Haaland, meanwhile, wouldn’t go home empty-handed, as he scooped up the Gerd Muller trophy. Aston Villa shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez, whose rise to stardom continues to inspire masses in Argentina, bagged the Yashin Trophy.
And narratives these days do not meet a full stop without Jude Bellingham. The Real Madrid starlet was presented with the Kopa Trophy for his stellar season at Borussia Dortmund across all competitions, on the biggest stages.
As far as the never-ending debate between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo goes, Messi’s eight Ballon d’Or wins against Ronaldo’s five is a marker to draw the line between the two who have taken contemporary football to an unimaginable level.
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Кирилл Венедиктов. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.