“Messi has to win it 25 times” - Emi Martinez 'apologises' to players born in Lionel Messi’s era with bold Ballon d’Or message 

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has said that he feels sorry for other Ballon d'Or aspirants plying their trade in the era of Lionel Messi.

Messi, 36, is widely regarded as the best player in the beautiful game's history and is still going strong for club and country. He achieved a lifelong dream with Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

With seven goals and three assists in seven games - including two strikes in the final against France - Messi has emerged as a top contender for the 2023 Ballon d'Or, which will be announced on Monday.

Messi is already the most successful player in the prestigious award's history with seven wins, two clear of anybody else. He's now seemingly on course to extend that record.

Meanwhile, his Argentina teammate, Martinez - who's also one of the 2023 Ballon d'Or nominess - reckons Messi being the best player in the world deserves the award. He said as per Albiceleste Talk:

“The award goes to the best player in the world and yes, Leo (Messi) has to win it 25 times. I apologise to the people who are in his era.”

While Martinez's proclamation of Messi winning 25 Ballon d'Or awards is obviously an exaggeration, the latter's record looks seemingly untouchable for a while. The Aston Villa goalkeeper finished 15th in the 2023 Ballon d'Or race.

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How did Lionel Messi fare last season?

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi had a decent 2022-23 season with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain. The 36-year-old bagged 21 goals and 20 assists as PSG won their second straight Ligue 1 title.

However, they fell in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 for the second straight year and also fell early in the domestic cups. Nevertheless, Messi had a decent campaign for the Parisians.

Of course, his bigger exploits came at the World Cup, where his 10 goal contributions ended La Albiceleste's 36-year wait for their third title in the quadrennial competition. Although he missed out on the Golden Boot, Messi became the first player to win multiple Golden Balls at the World Cup.