Argentina glory main priority for Ballon d’Or boss Lionel Messi

The handovers of the two most important trophies collected by Lionel Messi in the last 12 months were both supervised, effectively, by his bosses.

In Doha last December, as captain of Argentina, he lifted the World Cup cloaked in a bisht under the approving smile of the Emir of Qatar. Messi was at the time employed by Paris Saint-Germain, majority owned by Qatar Sports Investments.

On Monday in Paris, David Beckham, the former England, Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and PSG star presented Messi his eighth, record-extending Ballon d’Or. Beckham is a co-owner of Inter Miami, Messi’s current employer.

But most of those who have had Messi under contract over the past decade or so know that, in the teams he plays for, it’s Messi who is the real boss.

His latest endorsement as the finest footballer of the 21st century may well be his last Ballon d’Or, but he will keep being the sport’s ultimate reference point for many years.

His bosses past and present were all seeking some reflected glory at the Paris gala, not least the delegation from Barcelona, the one institution that resisted bending to Messi’s special authority when, in 2021, they told him they could no longer afford him. Barca lived to regret his departure from the club where he had grown up.

If Messi’s previous Ballons d’Or in large part rewarded his club football at Barcelona, this one gained its winning share of votes for his achievements with Argentina, where he has been frustrated more often than fulfilled.

The World Cup victory was “a dream come true for me, my teammates and a nation”, he said. Yes, Messi also won the French league title last season – the period under consideration for the 2023 Ballon d’Or – but he is quite candid in declaring his