Messi and His Love Affair With The Ballon d'Or

Few relationships in football are as enduring and exciting as Lionel Messi's love affair with the Ballon d'Or. The Argentine maestro, renowned for his unearthly skills and mercurial performances, has claimed this esteemed accolade a record seven times, a testament to his astonishing consistency and ability to mesmerize on the football pitch.
For Messi, the Ballon d'Or has been a perennial rendezvous, an annual date etched on his calendar with relentless certainty. His enchanting romance with this prestigious award began in 2009, setting the stage for an unprecedented era of individual dominance in football history. Every subsequent rendezvous has etched another golden chapter in his career, filled with audacious goals, deft dribbles, ingenious assists, and an indomitable will to win.
The exhilaration of his Ballon d'Or triumphs might even rival the thrill of his romantic journey with his childhood sweetheart and now wife, Antonella Roccuzzo. One could argue that his love for the game and his pursuit of individual perfection, symbolized by the Ballon d'Or, has defined Messi just as much as his personal relationships.
Behind Messi's seven golden moments is a brutal commitment to excellence and a relentless drive to push boundaries. He has redefined the parameters of the game, lifting it to artistic heights previously unimagined. Messi's love affair with the Ballon d'Or is not merely a testament to his own brilliance, but also a reflection of his profound impact on the beautiful game.
Today, as Messi stands atop the footballing world, with a record seven Ballon d'Or awards, his journey evokes admiration, awe, and inspiration. This love affair, marked by breathtaking moments of magic, is destined to remain an enduring tale in football lore.

7 and counting…but not without controversy

Lionel Messi's journey to amass seven Ballon d'Or titles has not been devoid of controversy. The two awards that particularly stirred the waters were those of 2010 and 2021.
In 2010, the inaugural Fifa Ballon d’Or was distinctive, marking the first time the top three finalists hailed from the same club. Messi, facing off against Barcelona teammates Xavi and Iniesta, clinched his second Ballon d’Or. However, the very setup sparked controversy, as Wesley Sneijder, despite winning a treble with Inter Milan, which included the Champions League triumph over Barcelona, was conspicuously absent from the top three. Sneijder's exceptional performance in the 2010 World Cup, which won him the Golden Ball, added to the confusion and dissatisfaction surrounding the award.
Moreover, the year saw Spain's World Cup victory, in which Xavi and Iniesta played pivotal roles. With Iniesta even scoring in the final, the duo's absence from the Ballon d'Or podium felt somewhat unjust. This controversy, to many, tarnished Messi's victory.
The 2021 award was similarly contentious. Lionel Messi was still undoubtedly a top player, but his seventh Ballon d'Or win appeared to many as a stretch compared to the impressive year Robert Lewandowski had for Bayern Munich and Poland. Lewandowski had significantly more goals, and his relentless scoring run was nothing short of spectacular. Not to mention, he had more trophies to his name for the year.

Heavy favorite to win the award in 2023, too

The 2023 Ballon d'Or race is beginning to take shape, and Lionel Messi, despite not having an extraordinary year by his standards in 2022, is the leading contender for the accolade. This might appear peculiar considering the World Cup's shift to November/December in 2022, but it suggests the race for the Ballon d'Or has become closely intertwined with the globe's biggest footballing spectacle.
Messi, the superstar set to join Inter Miami in a multi-million deal, is odds-on favorite to claim what could be his eighth and possibly final Ballon d'Or, thanks to Argentina's World Cup triumph in 2022. The possibility of Messi winning the prestigious award while playing in the MLS would be a testament to his enduring brilliance and his ability to shine on any stage.
However, the race isn't void of compelling contenders. Erling Haaland, for instance, has had an exceptional season. The goal-scoring machine smashed several records, scoring an astonishing 36 goals in his first 35 Premier League appearances and setting a new record for most goals in a single season, a feat not seen since Ron Davies' exploits for Southampton in 1966/67. With 52 goals, Haaland also eclipsed the record for most goals in one season in all competitions by a Premier League player, beating records held by Mo Salah and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Yet, even this monstrous performance seems unlikely to trump Messi's World Cup success.
Other potential contenders, notably from Manchester City, include Kevin De Bruyne, who had a tremendous season but a disappointing World Cup. Ilkay Gundogan, the treble-winning captain, and Rodri, the scorer of the winning goal in the Champions League final, also make the list. However, Messi's World Cup victory casts a considerable shadow over their accomplishments.
Despite the stiff competition, Messi remains a formidable favorite. Even against the towering figure of Haaland, the Argentine's legend continues to grow, his success emblematic of the unwavering influence he has on the sport.

Can someone even come close to the record?

Breaking Lionel Messi's record of seven Ballon d'Or trophies appears hardly achievable, if not impossible, given the current football situation. Despite his lengthy career, his long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, only has five, and at 38 years old and playing in Saudi Arabia, his chances of surpassing Messi's tally are dwindling.
Looking to the future, highly regarded players such as Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, who have taken the football world by storm, have yet to win their first Ballon d'Or. While both are extremely talented and have potential, the road to breaking Messi's record is incredibly difficult, riddled with variables other than pure talent, such as maintaining consistently high performance levels and remaining injury-free for more than a decade.