Lionel Messi created history today by becoming the first footballer to win Ballon d’Or for the 6th time and the beauty of it lies in the fact that his victory didn’t come as a surprise at all.
Lionel Messi was declared the winner even before the ceremony, thanks to his brilliant form this year. An example of which was his lone goal for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid in a recent La Liga game.
The strike was so beautiful, even the opposition’s coach, Diego Simeone, couldn’t stop himself from appreciating it.
Messi’s 86th minute goal got Barcelona the lead and eventually won them the match, which was headed towards a draw.
When asked about his reaction after the match, Simeone said:
With a great goal like that, all you can do is applaud. The move, when the counter-attack started, had the smell of great danger. He scored a golazo.
Messi is 32 now, and while age is not as big a factor as it used to be, it is commendable that with performances like these, he is still one of the best players in the world (he is THE best, who am I kidding!).