Messi to compete in Copa America after winning the Ballon d'Or for the eighth time

Fresh off winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or for an unprecedented eighth time in his illustrious career, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has his eyes set on a new goal: leading his national team to a successful defense of their Copa America title, scheduled for the coming summer in the United States.

Messi was crowned with the Ballon d'Or, the most renowned individual award in international football, by the French magazine "France Football" on Monday. This remarkable achievement expanded his lead over his Portuguese rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who did not make the list of the thirty finalists.

This year's honor went to Messi, in contrast to last year when the Frenchman Karim Benzema, currently playing for Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad Club, took home the award. This time, Messi secured the title after leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

When asked about possibly winning the award for the ninth time, the 36-year-old football legend opted not to focus on future accolades. Instead, he shared his next objective: "I don't think about the long-term future. I'm currently enjoying every single day."

Messi is presently with Inter Miami in the United States, having departed from Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the last season. He stated, "We have the Copa America in the United States ahead of us. I'm looking forward to it in good physical condition, and then we'll see how things go from there."

The continental tournament is scheduled between June 20 and July 14. Argentina aims to retain the title they won in 2021 in Brazil, marking their first victory since 1993, when they defeated the host nation 1-0. This achievement granted Messi his first-ever international title with his national team.

Messi acknowledged that his two years at Paris Saint-Germain did not unfold as he had envisioned when he left Barcelona in 2021. He expressed, "Things didn't go as I'd wished on the football front, but I enjoyed the city a lot. My children loved the city too and found it difficult to leave."

He continued, "It's an amazing city, and I was fortunate to live here. Football-wise, things didn't go as I had wished, but I prefer to remember the many good things."


AFP