What an imperial reign! Without sharing, Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or 2021, the seventh for the Argentinian and the first in the history of Paris SG, isolating himself a little more in the firmament of football after having beaten Monday Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho.
FC Barcelona, which saw the “Pulga” leave for Paris this summer, still has a trophy in its ranks since its captain Alexia Putellas lifts the third women’s Ballon d’Or in history, and the young Pedri won the trophy. Best youngster Kopa (under 21).
Finally, the goalkeeper of the European champion Italy, Gianluigi Donnarumma, wins the Yachine trophy for best goalkeeper.
And seven! Messi has already been crowned six times before (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019) under the shirt of Barça, which he left in tears this summer to join PSG, after 20 years in “blaugrana”.
“I think I got this trophy for what we managed to do at the Copa America,” said the winner. This summer, he guided Argentina to their first trophy in 28 years, and the first major trophy of “La Pulga” (La Puce) in this jersey, after four finals lost, three in Copa America (2007, 2015 and 2016 ), one in the World Cup (2014).
“After fighting for years and stumbling frequently, I finally got there,” smiled Messi.
“Congratulations @leomessi, for this other Ballon d’Or. It is certainly a fair tribute to an unparalleled talent ”, wrote Pelé, the legend of Brazilian football, on social networks.
It is also “a pride for me to be the first player to win it with the PSG jersey”, added Messi, admitting to having “benefited a lot from seeing my family happy tonight”.
His wife Antonela and their three boys, dressed in the same black sequined jacket as their father, were at Chatelet.
It is indeed a triumph for PSG, which touches the second for a French club after that of Jean-Pierre Papin with Marseille (1991).
The Liberian George Weah, crowned in 1995, had played the first half for PSG but lifted the trophy in the jersey of AC Milan.
“This is the seventh for him, for the club it is the first,” savored the Parisian president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi on La Chaîne L’Équipe, congratulating Messi “warmly”.
“It is a great pride for the club that one of our players has won the most prestigious and coveted title. It’s big for him, for the club, for the city and for French football, not just for PSG, ”insisted the Qatari leader.
Cristiano Ronaldo 6th
The price of “Gigio” Donnarumma further embellishes the Parisian evening.
Sullen gala on the other hand for Cristiano Ronaldo, “only” sixth in the 2021 edition, and who shunned the ceremony presented by Didier Drogba and Sandy Heribert and grumbled on his Instagram account, writing all the same: “I always send my congratulations to those who win ”.
With five trophies, the Portuguese is falling behind in his competition with Messi and the years go by, making it less and less likely that the Argentine will be caught.
Lewandowski is also disappointed. This year it will not become the first Polish Golden Ball. The Bayern striker probably missed the boat when France Football decided not to award its prestigious trophy in 2020, a year truncated by the Covid-19 epidemic.
Good player, Messi launched him from the scene: “You deserved it last year, I hope France Football will give it to you because you deserve to have it at home”.
Lewandowski also consoles himself with the award for top scorer of the year, created for this edition by France Football.
“I’m very honored with this trophy, I know what it means to be there on the pitch, to be a goalscorer, to achieve what it takes,” said Lewandowski.
Benzema also dreamed of the Ballon d’Or. Long announced among the favorites, he finished at the foot of the podium (4th), by far his best ranking.
Alexia Putellas crowned
The third place is occupied by the Italo-Brazilian Jorginho, defensive midfielder of Italy and Chelsea (named club of the year by the jury), and winner of this title of the Euro and the Champions League this year.
The women’s Ballon d’Or crowned her the captain of FC Barcelona and winner of the Women’s Champions League, Alexia Putellas.
“Alexia”, the name on her jersey, succeeds the Norwegian Ada Hegerberg, the first winner in history in 2018, and the American champion and activist icon Megan Rapinoe (2019).
Putellas (27) is ahead of his teammate Jennifer Hermoso and their victim in the C1 final, Australian Chelsea Sam Kerr.
Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma also collected the trophies this year. European champion with Italy, best player of Euro 2020, he also won the Yachine trophy for best goalkeeper. “It was an incredible year for me,” smiled the giant “Gigio”.
Finally the Kopa trophy for best youngster, where 32 former Ballons d’Or voted, rewarded Pedri (19 years old). But the Spanish prodigy is still far from the seven pearls of Messi, who already imagines the quest for an 8th Ballon d’Or. “I had not thought of the sixth, the seventh, the eighth … I really want to start this stage in my life at PSG and achieve new goals,” concluded the absolute master of world football.