After earning his eighth Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi receives a standing ovation and declares he is not considering the long term

Lionel Messi said that he is not yet considering his long-term future, preferring to celebrate his seventh Ballon d’Or victory.

After leading Argentina to victory at the World Cup in Qatar the previous season, Messi, 36, took over as the winner of the accolade from Karim Benzema.

After accepting his medal at a ceremony in Paris, Messi told different media, including AFP, “The last one I won was also thanks to what we achieved with the Argentine national team in the Copa America (in 2021), but this one is much more special because it comes after we won the World Cup.”

“Winning that trophy is the ultimate goal for everyone, and it was an incredible moment for me, my teammates, and my nation.”

He led Argentina to win in Qatar, capping his incredible career and enabling him to defeat fierce opposition from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in particular for the Ballon d’Or.

In the end, Mbappe finished third, Kevin De Bruyne finished fourth, and Haaland came in second.

After Argentina defeated France on penalties in the World Cup final in Doha, former Barcelona star Lionel Messi scored seven goals and was crowned the tournament’s best player.

However, Messi, who took home the Ballon d’Or in 2009, also had a lackluster last season with Paris Saint-Germain before departing to play Major League Soccer for Inter Miami.

He downplayed rumors that he may return for a second Ballon d’Or, perhaps after the 2026 World Cup at the age of 39.

“I’m not considering the far future. Right now, I’m simply living each day to the fullest,” he said.

“We are the holders of a Copa America that is coming up in the United States, so I am looking forward to entering that in good shape and then just seeing how I am getting on from there.”