When Messi Sent Emphatic Message After Winning Ballon d’Or Ahead of Ronaldo

• Lionel Messi believes his record seven Ballon d'Or wins cannot be surpassed
• The Argentine maestro is set to win the coveted award this year
• He will compete with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe for the award

Lionel Messi had once commented that his seventh Ballon d'Or triumph in 2021 was an achievement that appeared unbeatable.

That year, Cristiano Ronaldo placed sixth in the rankings, with Robert Lewandowski securing the second spot.

Messi's victory that season was significantly attributed to his pivotal role in Argentina's Copa America win that summer, marking their first major achievement in nearly thirty years, as reported by Reuters.

The 36-year-old enjoyed another remarkable year, contributing 41 goals and 17 assists for both Barcelona and the Argentine national team. Furthermore, he secured the Copa del Rey for Barcelona.

2021 Ballon d'Or rankings

In one of the most closely contested Ballon d'Or competitions in recent memory, Messi secured victory with 613 points, narrowly edging out then Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski, who accumulated 580 points.

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The Polish forward boasted an impressive 64 goals in 2021 and clinched three trophies, including the Bundesliga.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo, with 43 goals and six assists that year, claimed the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana titles with Juventus.

After his historic seventh Ballon d'Or win, the current Inter Miami forward expressed, via the Mirror:

"I don't know if the record is beatable. I just have to accept it, but I'm not sure if it can be beaten. Seven is really impressive."

Messi's closest Ballon d'Or rival, Ronaldo, has five Ballon d'Or awards, with his last coming in 2017.

During this era, Ronaldo and Messi set and broke numerous records, engaging in an intense competition to outperform each other in all aspects of the game.

The Ballon d'Or count became one of the primary metrics for evaluating their greatness.

Messi leads Haaland in Ballon d'Or vote

Meanwhile, Sports Brief reported that with less than two weeks to go to the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony, Messi has taken an overwhelming lead in the fan vote for the 2023 Ballon d’Or.

This was organised by France Football, a magazine owned by L'Equipe, responsible for dishing out the most lucrative individual award in football history.