​Lionel Messi won the eighth Ballon d’Or of his career (a record) on Monday night, and in his speech after receiving the trophy, the Argentine did not forget the great Diego Armando Maradona.

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Messi says that without Argentina he would not have won this Ballon d’Or

Now playing for Inter Miami, Messi touched on several topics, talking about his rivals, Maradona and how long he will play football.

“Thank you to everyone who voted for me, to everyone who made it possible for me to win this award. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this trophy, my teammates and my coach from Argentina (No. Lionel Scaloni).

I would also like to thank the technical staff of Argentina. I congratulate Haaland, Kylian (Mbappe) and others who have had an exceptional season at an individual level.

I see many faces that I would like to thank. I feel good tonight, a pleasure that will never leave me. A special mention to all the people who have followed me since the beginning of my career.

I would also like to thank my wife, who has been by my side from the very beginning, supporting me in difficult and unpleasant situations” – Lionel Messi.

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Messi: “Diego, everything is thanks to you”

In the continuation of his speech, Lionel talked about the great Diego Armando Maradona, who would have turned 63 on October 30. “Diego, it’s all thanks to you,” said the one who delighted the support in the Barcelona shirt for years.

“All Golden Balls won are special. Collective trophies are the most important. This trophy would not be possible without the whole team. It is true when you are appreciated, it is nice, but the most important thing in football is the team.

I could never have imagined that I would have the career that I have had. I was lucky enough to play for the best club with the best team in history (except Barcelona), which allowed me to fulfill my dreams.

I have won many trophies but all I need is the World Cup. After a few difficult moments, I tried again and it worked.

I am extremely lucky to be a world champion. These were my strongest emotions. You can’t imagine how I felt” – Lionel Messi.

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Mbappe and Haaland will also win the Ballon d’Or.

Messi also praised those he battled to win the Ballon d’Or: former team-mate Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

“I was in the same club (without PSG), I shared moments, matches with Kylian (Mbappe), I know his huge talent. They are still very young and I know we will see them at the top again. Haaland has won important trophies and I am convinced that he will also win this trophy” – Lionel Messi.

How long will Messi play football?

At the end of his speech, Lionel (36 years old) also talked about how long he will play football.

“You have to see how I feel physically. I can’t say once. Everything changes overnight. But I hope to continue for a long, long time because this is what I love to do,” concluded the footballer, who just won his eighth Ballon d’Or on Monday night.