Lionel Messi predicts future 'Ballon d'Or' winners as he wins coveted trophy for record 8th time

Paris has been soaked into Messi's magic again, as the little messiah from Argentina has conquered the record-extending 8th Ballon d'Or title. The award was given at the back of an exceptional season, which saw him scoring goals and winning trophies for both club and country. Messi's most profound contribution came for the National side. He led Argentina to the World Cup glory in Qatar 2022.

3 things you need to know

• Lionel Messi won the record 8th Ballon d'Or award
• Erling Haaland is the runner-up for the award
• Haaland won the treble with Manchester City and scored more than 50 goals in the 2022/23 season

Also Read | Ballon d'Or 2023: Here's full list of winners as Lionel Messi pips Erling Haaland to win major award

Lionel Messi mentions the name of future Ballon d'Or candidates

After lifting the coveted golden trophy, Lionel Messi delivered a powerful speech. Of course! It was in Spanish but by the grace of translation, English speakers could understand every word that the magician uttered. He thanked the fans and teammates for their continuous support. He expressed gratitude to the ones who voted for him to stand on that podium once again. As a veteran, he did not forget to motivate the youngsters and mentioned the names of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe as the potential recipients of the award.

Here's what he said:

"Thanks to everyone, especially my teammates. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. This Ballon d'Or is a great gift for all of Argentina. I don't want to forget Haaland or Mbappe, who had a great year, spectacular, and in the coming years they will win this award."

"The level [of competition] never decreases, I have been lucky to be here for many years. I want to provide a special mention for all those people who were happy that Argentina became world champions. Thanks also to all my family, my wife, my children, for being there in the worst moments, and they have helped me fulfill my dreams in football. Without you it would not have been possible."

"All the awards have been special, but I always emphasize the importance of the team. This is secondary. Look at City, they have been the best and achieved everything last season. “I have been very lucky, I have played for the best team in the world, the best in history, I have been able to win many individual awards thanks to that. With Argentina I have had very bad times, but I never gave up on winning the Copa America and World Cup, and that's why I'm proud of not having given up.”

Also Read | Lionel Messi wins record-extending 8th Ballon d’Or, Aitana Bonmati takes women’s award - WATCH

Further praise

Messi also thanked Beckham, who was still on stage, for bringing him to Miami before heaping further praise on Haaland and Mbappe. He said: "It's going to be a nice fight between the two of them and between several other younger players around here.

"They both deserved it this year. Erling, this could have been yours and it would have felt perfect."

Lionel Messi has had a tumultuous stint with PSG but with Argentina, it was all roses and rainbows. He first led the team to the long-awaited Copa America title and then won the World Cup with Argentina.