Argentina captain Lionel Messi has stated that winning the Ballon d’Or in 2023 will be a good thing.
Messi and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland are among the leading contenders for the Ballon d’Or this year.
Last weekend, the 35-year-old arrived in Beijing, China by private jet and was greeted by hundreds of ecstatic fans.
Messi, who will lead Argentina in a friendly against Australia next week, was interviewed by Chinese media on a Chinese streaming platform about the Ballon d’Or, the World Cup, and Man City manager Pep Guardiola.
When asked about this year’s Ballon d’Or, Messi said, “Ballon d’Or? At this point in my career, if it comes, it’s good and if it doesn’t, nothing happens.”
“Does the Ballon d’Or matter to me? No, at this stage in my life, it is no longer important to me. I have always said that individual prizes are not what matters to me but the collective ones are the most important to me. The most important prize at the moment is the World Cup. This is the greatest prize for me.”