Mbappe: "Messi should have won the Ballon d'Or, he is one of the greatest in history"

Paris Saint-Germain and France national team striker Kylian Mbappé shared his opinion that his former teammate Lionel Messi rightfully received his eighth Ballon d'Or.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Mbappé stated:

"Messi had to win the Ballon d'Or, he won the World Cup, he is one of the greatest in history, if not the greatest for me. Holland had a great season, I did too, but compared to winning the World Cup, it doesn't matter much. Leo deserved it."

For Lionel Messi, this marks his eighth Ballon d'Or in his career, previously securing the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021. This achievement stands as an absolute record, with his closest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, holding five Ballon d'Or titles. Messi significantly outpaced his competitors in this regard. Erling Haaland secured the second spot, with Kylian Mbappé finishing third.

Beyond the record number of Ballon d'Or awards, Messi holds the record for team trophies (44), Golden Boot awards (6), is the all-time top scorer (672), and holds the record for the most appearances for Barcelona (778). The legendary Argentine holds an extensive array of records and a significant collection of trophies.