Rick Ross and David Beckham came to congratulate legendary Lionel Messi on receiving the Golden Ball for the eighth time

Eight Golden Balls, which Messi won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023, set a record. He left behind Cristiano Ronaldo, the player with five titles. Prominent South American athletes like Pele and Diego Maradona have never received the Golden Ball since it was solely given to European players until 1994. For this reason, Pele was given seven Golden Balls by France Football, whereas Maradona received two.

Messi celebrated his 63rd birthday today by paying respect to his late instructor Maradona, after expressing gratitude to his family and supporters. He declared, “This award is a great gift for all Argentines.” “I would want to bring up the final individual, who is Maradona. Since there are so many players here with this ball, there is no better spot for me to wish you a happy birthday, sir. He thereby deserves this medal, as do all Argentines.”

During his tenure as Argentina’s captain from 2008 to 2010, Maradona gave Messi the captaincy for the first time. Out of all coaches who have worked 10 or more matches, he obtained the greatest victory percentage in Argentina’s history—75%. But Maradona and his group had to give up in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals.

Messi won his first World Cup in 2022 in Qatar, following four World Cups, with the best finish being runner-up in 2014. On December 18, when Argentina defeated France in the championship penalty shootout, he scored seven goals, becoming the tournament’s top player. In the competition, Messi scored in each and every round.

Mbappe made his first appearance in the leading three Golden Balls since he is the World Cup’s leading scorer with eight goals, including a hat-trick in the championship game. Haaland was the Premier League and Champions League’s top scorer, helping Man City win the triple. These accomplishments are quite comparable to those of last year’s winner, Karim Benzema. But as the World Cup is the largest competition in the world and happens every four years, it frequently has a significant impact on the voting for the Golden Ball. According to Messi, Mbappe and Haaland will take home the Golden Ball in the upcoming years.