Messi’s 7th Ballon d’Or… “Winning the Copa America is the key”

Lionel Messi, the ‘god of football’, won his 7th Ballon d’Or.

Messi won the male player’s trophy at the 2021 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, France.

The Ballon d’Or, hosted by France Football, a French soccer magazine, is an award given to the player with the best performance of the year.

Messi received 613 points in a vote by reporters from around the world, beating Robert Lewandowski, who received 580 points, by a large margin to receive the award.

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho from Italy was third, and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema from France was fourth.

At the Ballon d’Or, which started in 1956 and celebrated its 65th anniversary this year, Messi succeeded in winning seven personal awards (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021), keeping the title of most winners. I did.

Last year’s awards ceremony was not held due to COVID-19, and Messi succeeded in winning the Ballon d’Or for the second time in a row.

It widened the gap with rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won this award five times.

Ronaldo, who did not attend the awards ceremony, was downgraded to 6th place in this year’s voting.

Messi and Ronaldo have shared the Ballon d’Or for 14 years from 2008, with the exception of 2018 when Luka Modric won the award.

Messi’s award was an expected result Messi relieved his ‘major competition’ by leading Argentina to victory in this year’s Copa America.

In this competition, they performed a ‘one-man show’ that won the title of top scorer, helper, and MVP.

His team scored 27 goals in the second half of the 2020-2021 season for FC Barcelona, ​​and scored 4 goals after moving to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

Messi said, “When I won the award two years ago, I thought it was the last, but I am very surprised to be standing here again. I think winning the Copa America is the ‘key’ to this award.”

After showing off his more sophisticated ‘scoring machine’ with 53 goals in all competitions in Munich in 2021, Lewandowski was awarded the newly established Striker of the Year award.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, who helped Italy win the European Championships 2020, won the Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper.

The Copa Award, given to the best player under the age of 21, went to Pedrí, the new Spain national team and Barcelona.

Chelsea, who won the UEFA Champions League in the 2021-202 season, were named Club of the Year.

The Women’s Ballon d’Or was won by Alexia Pukeyas, the main character of the Barcelona Women’s Team’s 2020-2021 treble.

(Photo = Getty Images Korea)