When presented with the choice of winning another Ballon d’Or or defending Argentina’s World Cup title, Lionel Messi didn’t hesitate: “World Cup.”
The rightly revered icon has the rare luxury of boasting both individual and collective success on the highest stage: Messi is one of just three male World Cup winners to have lifted the Ballon d’Or on more than one occasion.
Inter Miami’s skipper has hoisted aloft the prestigious golden orb handed out annually by France Football on no fewer than eight occasions, comfortably the most across the 69-year history of the award. However, he had to wait until his fifth appearance in a World Cup to get his hands on that trophy.
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Clearly, the desire to repeat that feat burns brighter than his individual ambitions—as Messi proved during a quickfire Q&A with 433. These priorities aren’t shared by plenty of the modern game’s younger generation.
Every Male World Cup Winner With Multiple Ballon d’Or Awards
Ronaldo scored a brace in the 2002 World Cup final. / Ulmer/IMAGO
Player
Ballon d’Or Wins
World Cup Win(s)
Lionel Messi
8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023)
2022 (Argentina)
Ronaldo
2 (1997, 2002)
1994, 2002 (Brazil)
Franz Beckenbauer
2 (1972, 1976)
1974 (West Germany)
Real Madrid fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold was presented with the same choice as Messi: Ballon d’Or or World Cup. The England international is yet to claim either gong but came to a different answer: “Don’t play the game; change the game,” was Alexander-Arnold’s justification for blatant self-promotion.
Messi is partly to blame for the modern obsession with the Ballon d’Or. Alexander-Arnold and most of the players gunning for the current individual honors would have grown up watching the Argentine fiercely battle Cristiano Ronaldo for the increasingly illustrious prize. At a time when the advent of Twitter propagated the debate of who is the greatest of all time, the Ballon d’Or became the ultimate scoreboard for success.
After plenty of noncommittal comments, Messi admitted last month that he hopes to be involved in the 2026 World Cup—as long as he is not “a burden” for the rest of Lionel Scaloni’s roster.
Lionel Messi has been linked with a short-term loan. / Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images
In the same 433 clip, Messi was asked to choose between picking between club management or ownership. The Argentine didn’t wait long before plumping for anything other than the dugout.
Even though Messi recently penned a new three-year contract at Inter Miami, his post-playing career has become a topic of heightened scrutiny of late. The 38-year-old cannot carry on forever—as much as his current employers may want him to.
Messi recently revealed that he plans on moving back to Barcelona with his family in the future and hinted in an explosive Instagram post at playing some role in the club. The preternaturally gifted forward has dismissed the idea of management in the past—very few players of such staggering ability have translated into successful coaches—but the prospect of being a sporting director is something which has previously been floated.
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