Lionel Messi: Barcelona Legend Names Player He Believes Should Have Won Ballon d’Or
- Lionel Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or more than any other player, has named a star who also deserved the prize
- The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony is set for Monday, September 22, at the Chatelet du Theatre in Paris, with outstanding players in contention
- Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, and Rafinha are all up for the prestigious Golden Ball as the world's best is set to emerge
Argentine legend Lionel Messi has named a player who deserved to win the Ballon d'Or, but never had the opportunity.
The world awaits the winner of the 2025 winner as the ceremony is slated for the Chatelet du Theatre in Paris, France, on Monday, September 22.
Unfortunately, Manchester City star Rodri is not in a position to defend his award, having suffered a serious knee injury last September.
Source: Getty Images
The door is now open for a whole host of players to succeed the Spain star, and the battle for the Golden Ball proved to be a real rollercoaster, per GOAL.
Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, and Rafinha are all in the race to take home this year's prestigious prize.
Lionel Messi remains the player with the most Ballon d'Ors, having won the award for a record eight times, with Cristiano Ronaldo following with five awards.
Even though Messi has a record number of awards, the Barcelona legend disclosed that fellow Argentine Lautaro Martinez deserved the Golden Ball in 2024.
Messi said via GiveMeSport:
"He had a spectacular year, he scored in the final, and he was the top scorer in the Copa America. He deserves the Ballon d'Or more than anyone else."
Martinez was part of the Inter Milan squad that won the Serie A title during the 2023/2024 season. During that campaign, they also reached the UEFA Champions League final.
He won the Copa America with the national team as well and bagged the top scorer award in the competition.
The striker himself said via SPORTbible:
"For the season I've had, I think I deserve to be where I am. Because I've worked hard, and I've also suffered a lot in previous years.
"It's the second time I've been in the final phase for the Ballon d'Or, and I think I have what it takes to be there."
Ballon 2025 results leaked?
Meanwhile, with less than 48 hours before the awards ceremony in 2025, a supposedly leaked list claiming to reveal the top 10 finishers went viral across social media.
The unconfirmed list had Barcelona’s Raphinha at the top with 800 points, a tally higher than Lionel Messi’s winning totals in 2023.
According to the post, French star Ousmane Dembele is second with 710 points, while Lamine Yamal is third.
Source: Getty Images
In fourth and fifth positions are Vitinha and Nuno Mendes, respectively, while Pedri is in sixth.
Pedri to skip Ballon d'Or ceremony?
Legit.ng earlier reported that Barcelona’s build-up to the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony has taken an unexpected twist as star midfielder Pedri and striker Robert Lewandowski will not attend Monday night’s event in Paris.
The news comes amid widespread speculation after a leaked list of winners went viral over the weekend, reportedly revealing the top 10 finishers for the coveted award
Source: Legit.ng
