Lionel Messi won a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or award following his World Cup success with Argentina alongside Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The 22-year-old was crowned the best young player of the tournament in Qatar last year, whilst Messi was crowned the competition's best player.

Now, following Argentina's success in Qatar which saw Messi and Fernandez crowned world champions - the 36-year-old forward has cemented his status as the greatest footballer of all time. The Argentina international won his first Ballon d’Or 14 years ago, just five years into his senior professional career.

"I couldn’t imagine having the career that I’ve had," Messi said after receiving the Ballon d'Or from Inter Miami owner David Beckham. "Everything that I’ve achieved.

"The fortune I’ve had playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies.

"To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing. All of them (Ballon d’Or awards) are special for different reasons."

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Fernandez congratulated Messi with a message on Instagram, which read: "The greatest of all *crown emoji*. There are no words captain, thank you so much."

Erling Haaland missed out on winning his first Ballon d'Or but did pick up the Gerd Muller trophy after scoring 52 goals in all competitions - helping Manchester City win the treble last season. Kylian Mbappe finished third in the Ballon d'Or rankings, but Chelsea did not have a single player in the top 30.

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