Trending: Lionel Messi Wins Record Seventh Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina has won the Ballon d’Or for the seventh time, a new record that puts him two ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the all-time rankings.

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Despite his departure from Barcelona in the summer, Messi’s most recent achievement, and first since 2019, was partly due to Argentina’s triumph at the recent Copa America, which gave him his first international trophy.

“I am ecstatic to win the France Football Ballon d’Or for the seventh time,” Messi said of his seventh victory. “To win it for the eighth time is wonderful. I’d like to thank my family, friends, and all of the people who follow and constantly support me because I couldn’t have done it without them.”

OFFICIAL: Lionel Messi won the 2021 Men's Ballon d'Or with 613 points, finishing 33 ahead of Robert Lewandowski in second place.#BallondOr pic.twitter.com/7OzT3NlhdU

— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) November 29, 2021

After a year in which he ended his long wait for an international honor by winning the Copa América with Argentina and left Barcelona, the club where he had spent his entire career, for Paris St.-Germain, Messi, 34, effectively retained the trophy he last won in 2019 — controversially, the award was not given out by France Football last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Messi’s latest win with PSG now means that the French giants finally have a Ballon d’Or winner having seen George Weah crowned as an AC Milan player just months after moving to San Siro and the current president of Liberia remains the only native African winner of the award.

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“I would like to warmly congratulate Leo,” added PSG Chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi. “The club is immensely proud that one of our players has won this most prestigious and coveted title. Leo is making football history once again.”