Lionel Messi's touching tribute to Diego Maradona after eighth Ballon d'Or win
Lionel Messi has dedicated his eighth Ballon d’Or award to Argentina legend Diego Maradona.
Messi beat Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe to claim the gong at a ceremony in Paris on Monday night. His triumph came after he led Argentina to a memorable win at the World Cup in Qatar in December.
The 36-year-old forward added to his previous wins in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2021 to extend his lead as the award’s most frequent winner. Messi attended the ceremony with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo and his children Mateo, Thiago and Ciro and sent an emotional message to Maradona, who passed away aged 60 in November 2020.
“Finally, I would like to mention Diego,” Messi said as he wrapped up his speech. “Today is his birthday. I think there is no better place than here to wish him a happy birthday.
"Here is full of players, coaches and people who like football like he did. Wherever you are, happy birthday Diego. This is for you, I share it with you and Argentina. Good evening and thank you very much.”
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Earlier on in the speech, he said: "It's nice to be here once more to enjoy this moment. To be able to win the World Cup and achieve my dream.
“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. To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing.”
Diego Maradona had a close relationship with Lionel Messi (JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)It is not the first time that Messi has paid tribute to Maradona, who inspired Argentina’s win at the 1986 World Cup. Writing on social media after bringing the trophy home from Qatar, Messi said: “From Grandoli to the Qatar World Cup took almost 30 years.
"It was close to three decades when the ball gave me many joys and also some sorrows. I always had a dream of being a World Champion and I didn't want to stop trying, even knowing that maybe I would never give up.
"This Cup we got is also from all those who did not make it in the previous World Cups we played, like in 2014 in Brazil, where they all deserved it for how they fought until the same final, worked hard and wanted it as much as I did... And we deserved it even in that damn ending.
"It's also from Diego who encouraged us from heaven. And of all those who spent the time always benching the National Team without looking so much at the result but the desire we always put into it, also when things didn't go as we wanted.”
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