Lionel Messi has been tipped to win a record-extending ninth Ballon d’Or award. Weighing in on the Ballon d’Or debate, former player Sergio Aguero explained that the Inter Miami star deserves it and shared his reasons.
“Messi is the most deserving of winning it. There is a difference between playing well in the UEFA Champions League and playing well in the FIFA World Cup; the latter holds greater value,” he said.
“Messi at 39 years old, what he is doing has much greater value than a young player aged 21 to 25 years old.”
‘We would like Messi to win it’
Meanwhile, Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister also joined the bandwagon, paying a huge tribute to Messi.
Asked about Messi’s chances, he said, “Yes, absolutely. As Argentinians, we would like Messi to win it. He delivered an exceptional World Cup and I see no reason why he should not be given the award.”
“Also, it is understood that numbers now play a big role these days, something that did not carry this much importance in the past, and you do not know exactly on what basis people vote.
“But every candidate in contention is a great player, and anyone who comes close to it deserves it. And we all know that Leo always puts the team ahead of individual achievements, so it will not be a big problem for him.”
In an interview with L’Equipe, Lamine Yamal picked Messi along with his teammate Rodri.
“It doesn’t surprise me that these guys are in the running-they all have their own case to make. Messi is mentioned because he had a great World Cup, for example, and others have different arguments,” he said.
“We have to respect everyone’s opinion. If someone says, ‘Messi deserves it’ or ‘Rodri deserves it,’ that’s totally respectable-they’re not talking nonsense, right?”