28
28
Speaking at the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, Lionel Messi said: "Robert [Lewandowski], you deserve your Ballon d'Or. Last year, everyone was in agreement to say that you were the big winner of this award.
"As for me, today I'm here in Paris. I am very happy. I want to continue to fight and reach new objectives. I don't know how many more years but I am really enjoying myself. I thank my team-mates at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina."
34-year-old Messi won the 2021 Ballon d’Or (his seventh overall) after last year's event was cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski, the 2020 favourite, finished in second place with Messi's Copa America win enough to tip the scales.
28
28