After winning his eighth Ballon d’Or in Paris, Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami to warm welcomes from his teammates.

Argentina’s star beat out Manchester City attacker Erling Haaland and former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe to win the accolade for 2023.

Messi’s inspirational role in getting Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup earned him an advantage over his competitors at the ceremony at the Théâtre du Chatete.

According to a social media video, Messi’s teammates welcomed him with a beautifully carved placard bearing the signatures of eight players.

 

 

“I couldn’t have imagined having the career I’ve had. Everything I’ve accomplished I’ve had the good fortune to play for the best team in the world and the best squad in history. It is good to take home these individual awards. To win the Copa America and then the World Cup is incredible,” Messi stated, according to rueters.com.

“All of them (Ballon d’Or awards) are special for different reasons,” he went on to say.

Messi joined Inter Miami during the summer transfer window after leaving PSG.

He guided the Miami-based club to League Cup victory, but the club failed to make the Major League Soccer playoffs in 2023.

Messi has won the Ballon d’Or eight times.

Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the eighth time in his career on Monday during a star-studded ceremony in Paris, according to Sports Brief.

Messi, 36, succeeds Karim Benzema as the winner of the award, which is given for his performances last season when he led Argentina to World Cup glory.

Messi was able to see off heavy competition from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, especially thanks to his performances in Qatar, where he carried his side to a victory that capped his extraordinary career.