Breaking:Lionel Messi wins Ballon d’Or for the 7th time.

By Lehlohonolo Lehana.

Paris St-Germain and Argentina forward Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or – awarded to the best footballer of the year – for a record seventh time.

Messi, 34, helped his country win the Copa America, his first international honour, and has scored 40 goals in 2021 – 28 for Barcelona, four for Paris St-Germain and eight for Argentina.

Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski came second, Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho was third and Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema finished fourth.

The Ballon d’Or is voted for by 180 journalists from around the world, although there was no award in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo (five wins) collected the award every year from 2008 to 2019, apart from in 2018 when Croatia midfielder Luka Modric won it.

Messi had already won the trophy more times than any other player and his seventh success comes after wins in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019.

“It’s incredible to be here again,” he said at the ceremony, held at Paris’s Theatre du Chatelet.

“Two years ago I thought it was the last time. People were starting to ask me when I was going to retire but now I’m here in Paris and very happy.

“It’s a special year for me with this Copa America title. It meant a lot to win [1-0 against Brazil in the final] at the Maracana stadium and I was so happy to celebrate with the people from Argentina.

“I don’t know if it’s the best year of my life – I’ve had a long career – but it was a special one with the title with Argentina after the tough times and the criticism.”

Messi also had warm words for the runner-up, 33-year-old Poland captain Lewandowski.

“I wanted to say to Robert that it was an honour to go up against him,” said Messi. “He deserved to win it last year.”

Lewandowski scored 53 goals in all competitions in 2021 for Bayern and was awarded the Striker of the Year prize, a new award that was only announced hours before the ceremony began.

Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas won the Women’s Ballon d’Or, awarded to the best female footballer in 2021.

Putellas, 27, scored as Barca beat Chelsea 4-0 to secure their first Champions League crown.

She ended the 2020-21 season as the highest-scoring midfielder in Europe with 26 goals in all competitions and was also named Uefa’s Women’s Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year.

Team-mate Jennifer Hermoso came second, with Chelsea striker Sam Kerr third.

Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema was fourth, while the Chelsea trio of Pernille Harder, Jessie Fleming and Fran Kirby were seventh, ninth and 10th respectively.

Award results

  • Team of the year: Chelsea
  • Striker of the year: Robert Lewandowski
  • Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper in the world): Gianluigi Donnarumma
  • Kopa Trophy (best player in the world under the age of 21): Pedri
  • Ballon d’Or Féminin (best female player in the world): Alexia Putellas
  • Ballon d’Or (best male player in the world): Lionel Messi.
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