Forward Lionel Messi believes that the people of Paris will not be interested in the prospect of him presenting his eighth Ballon d’Or at Parc des Princes.
After receiving the award on the evening of November 30 at the Chatelet Theater in Paris, Messi faced numerous questions regarding his plans for the eighth Ballon d’Or in his career. The first question was about the possibility of showcasing this honor in the next Argentina match against Uruguay in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires.
The 36-year-old forward said that it’s something he truly desires. “In reality, this hasn’t been discussed. It would be great if I could do it once in front of the people of Argentina,” Messi told TNT. “As I’ve said, this award belongs to the national team and the people of Argentina. I have it, thanks to what we achieved at the World Cup. I always present the Ballon d’Or and share it with my former clubs. In short, it would be great if I could present this award to the Argentine fans. I think Dibu (Emiliano Martinez) would also want that.”
Messi was with PSG when he won the World Cup, a prerequisite for him to receive the Ballon d’Or. However, the Argentine captain has ruled out the possibility of presenting this individual award at PSG’s home stadium. “I don’t think the people of Paris are excited about the Ballon d’Or,” he said.
Messi had previously won seven Ballon d’Or awards in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021. In the first six instances when he claimed the honor in a Barcelona jersey, the Argentine forward always brought it to Camp Nou to share the glory with the fans and the club.
In 2021, Messi won his seventh Ballon d’Or after leaving Barcelona to join PSG. At that time, he did not organize a celebration. At the end of last year, when he won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, Messi wanted to showcase this honor at Parc des Princes, but the club declined due to concerns about facing opposition from fans because Messi helped Argentina defeat France in the final.
Messi was also asked about his relationship with Kylian Mbappe, his rival in the 2023 Ballon d’Or race and the World Cup 2022 final. Messi and Mbappe were former teammates at PSG, and after Messi won the award, Mbappe posted a congratulatory message on social media. “Mbappe and I don’t talk much. We played together for two years and had a good relationship. Both of us were fighting for a common goal. Our relationship is pretty normal. Both sides welcome each other,” he revealed.
After his contract with PSG expired earlier this year, Messi moved to the United States to play for Inter Miami. However, the season ended for Miami as they failed to secure a spot in the MLS playoffs. Messi won’t be able to present the Ballon d’Or in a club match.
