Lionel Messi is clearly not an ordinary player, and La Pulga can afford some liberties even during the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The captain of the Argentine national team won his eighth Ballon d’Or on October 30, 2023, at the Théâtre des Châtelets in France.
The former FC Barcelona player was able to convince the majority of voters thanks to his victory in the 2022 World Cup, ahead of Erling Haaland.
During the Ballon d’Or award ceremony, Lionel Messi even allowed himself to deviate from the event’s protocol rule.
While players were forbidden to get up, La Pulga still stood up from his seat to greet a player in the audience.
It was Napoli’s winger, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. In fact, it was Kvaratskhelia himself who later recounted the anecdote. “I met Messi at the Ballon d’Or ceremony. We were warned not to get up and walk around.
But suddenly, Messi stood up and came towards me and shook my hand. It’s a historic moment when the greatest player in history comes to you.
We only saw him on TV, it’s motivation for me because he’s the best in history, and it’s an honor for me to meet him,” said the Georgian international.
Even though the Napoli player considers himself a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, he still acknowledges Messi’s greatness as well.
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