Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or on Monday night, and the honor was handed to him by fellow MLS pioneer David Beckham.
Messi, 36, joined Inter Miami this summer, just months after leading Argentina to World Cup success.
David Beckham presented Lionel Messi with his eighth Ballon d’Or trophy on Monday
The two work together at Inter Miami, where ex-England star Beckham is the co-owner
Beckham joined the LA Galaxy in 2007 in a huge move before Messi joined MLS this year
But it was Beckham, now a co-owner of Inter Miami, who opened the floodgates into America when he joined the LA Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007.
The former Manchester United and England midfielder gushed about Messi, who guided Miami to the League Cup triumph immediately after joining the club.
‘It’s incredibly special to say he’s a Miami athlete that is visiting our city. He’ll rejoice with his teammates and family in his own unique way.
‘We’ll do our best to commemorate it in true Miami fashion. I’m confident we can throw a good party.’
Messi attended the ceremony with his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo, and his three sons, Mateo, Thiago, and Ciro.
The four-time Champions League winner arrived at the event alongside his family
Messi’s sons Mateo, Thiago and Ciro joined him onstage as he accepted the award
Messi’s children even joined him onstage as he won the honor.
Despite winning the League Cup, Miami failed to qualify for the MLS playoffs after signing Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.
When the trio arrived, the squad was last in the Eastern Conference.
Due to injury and international duties with Argentina, Messi only appeared in six league games for Miami.
Prior to joining MLS, Messi helped PSG win the Ligue 1 title by scoring 32 goals in 55 games across all competitions.
He also scored seven goals at the World Cup, including two in the final, to lead Argentina to their first World Cup victory since 1986.
He beat out Erling Haaland (second), Kylian Mbappe (third), and Kevin De Bruyne (fourth) for the Ballon d’Or this year.