Konula: Ballon D'Or, Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, PSG, Argentina, Diego Maradona
The South American superstar managed to beat Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé to the prestigious award.

There were no surprises in the Ballon D'Or Gala, but it was quite the emotional night for Lionel Messi in Paris.

As he picked up his eighth award of the sort, the footballer wasted no time in recalling who helped him win what could be the most special of his wins in this ceremony, mainly because he has won it after leading Argentina to the FIFA World Cup and because some believe this could be his final win in this gala.

While accepting the trophy, Messi thanked his teammates for their contribution to winning this award.

"This comes after what we won with Argentina. Lautaro, Julian, Dibu are all here. This is a gift to the entire group and to the technical staff. This is a gift for Argentina and for everything we have accomplished together," Messi stated.

The Argentine ace went on to share his views on his fellow nominees.

"I don't want to stay mute about Haaland or Mbappé. They had a great year, especially Haaland. I have no doubt he will win this award. We see a lot of young players and we will enjoy football for quite a while. Players come and go, but class remains a must," the player added.

Before his intervention concluded, Messi paid tribute to Diego Maradona on the date he would have celebrated his 63rd birthday.

"I want to look back and remember Diego on his birthday. We have gere a lot of players that love football as much as he did. Wherever you are, happy birthday Diego," Messi concluded.

The Argentine ace extends his legacy as arguably the best player to grace a football pitch with this eighth award, which adds up to the many accolades he has won during his massive career.