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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi picked up his record seventh Ballon d'Or in a stunning ceremony in France moments earlier. After getting his hands on the prized accolade, the Argentine great was quick to acknowledge Robert Lewandowski, who finished second in the Ballon d'Or rankings after missing out on the prize last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's been an honor to compete with Robert Lewandowski for the Ballon d'Or, he deserved to win the award last year."
Messi was presented with the Ballon d'Or trophy by former Barcelona teammate and close friend Luis Suarez, as he got his hands on the trophy for the first time in PSG colors. The diminutive Argentine is undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers of all time and enhanced his reputation further with another historic scalp.
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Lewandowski might have missed out on the Ballon d'Or, but he became the inaugural winner of France Football's Striker of the Year award. Gianluigi Donnarumma bagged the Yashin Trophy, while Barcelona youngster Pedri got his hands on the Kopa Trophy.
As for the Women's Ballon d'Or, Barcelona Femeni star Alexia Putellas was adjudged the winner after a stunning season for the Catalan giants.
Messi thanks fans across the world for their unwavering support after winning 7th Ballon d'Or
After getting his hands on the Ballon d'Or for the seventh time, Lionel Messi was quick to thank his family, teammates and everyone close to him, while he also thanked his fans across the world for their support. He hasn't been in the best of form since moving to PSG, but his role in Argentina's Copa America triumph is believed to have turned the tide in his favor ahead of Lewandowski.
Messi is the first player in history to win the Ballon d'Or seven times and has now won the award at least twice more than any player in history.
