Lionel Messi: The One Award Missing From Argentine's Trophy Cabinet Despite 'Completing Football'

• Lionel Messi recently made some interesting sentiments about his career
• The Argentine admitted there was nothing else left for him to prove in football
• However, there is one individual award the 37-year-old has yet to win in his career

Lionel Messi sums up everything that a great footballer should be, and many, both professionals and fans, regard him as the greatest player to grace the game.

Now 37, the Argentine is in the twilight years of his career and is currently playing in the less-intense Major League Soccer after departing Europe in 2023.

In a recent interview, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner admitted he had achieved everything there was in the beautiful game, adding that he no longer 'has dreams' in football.

"At a sporting level, I was lucky to be able to achieve all my dreams and the truth is that I couldn't ask for more," he said, per Tribuna.

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"Thank God He gave me so much on a professional and human level, as well as with my family, my friends. I try to enjoy everything that God has given me so far, which is a lot."

Lionel Messi’s accolades

In 2022, Messi achieved something which many fans believed ‘completed football’ as he won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina at the expense of France.

This feat cemented his so-called ‘GOAT’ status as he joined an elite list of players to have won the Ballon d’Or, Champions League, and World Cup.

His eighth Ballon d’Or also put him in a league of his own in terms of individual accolades - 52 - ahead of his nearest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, with 32.

The one award Messi has never won

Messi may have claimed no award in football can make him lose his sleep, but a quick spot check by Sports Brief revealed a certain popular individual accolade the Argentine has never won in his career.

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That is the Puskas Award, which has grown to become one of the most coveted treasures in terms of Individual awards but has so far eluded the World Cup winner.

The prize goes to the player who scores the best goal in a calendar year, and while Messi has hit some bangers in his career spanning two decades, none of his 826 career goals has won him the award.

Has Cristiano Ronaldo won a Puskas?

Cristiano Ronaldo will take great pride in knowing Messi has never won a Puskas award, especially because the Portuguese forward knows what it is like to win it.

The Al-Nassr superstar won the award for his wonder strike against Porto when he was still a Manchester United player in the 2008/2009 campaign.

Ronaldo's goal came after six minutes when he hit a powerful 40-yard strike that left the opposition goalkeeper with no chance, according to ESPN.

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Since then, Ronaldo has been nominated for the Puskas award only once, in 2018 for his overhead kick against Juventus in the Champions League. That goal was beaten to the award by Mohamed Salah’s strike.

For Messi, his is arguably a case of bad luck, as he has been nominated for the Puskas award seven times, without winning it a single time.

When will Messi retire?

Sports Brief also reported on Messi discussing when he would retire as the Argentine admitted he knew his time in the game was running out.

While the veteran did not suggest that the time to hang up his boots was imminent, he asserted that he would know when the time was right.