This year Lionel Messi has a chance to win his eighth Ballon d’Or, putting him three ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo for the all-time record.

Given Argentina’s World Cup victory last year and Ronaldo’s absence from the nominations for the first time since 2004, Messi is the clear frontrunner. Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the seventh time in 2021, and after the ceremony he declared that neither he nor his closest competitor Ronaldo will ever win the award again.

“I don’t know if the record is beatable,” he said. I guess I should simply give in to it, but I doubt it can be overcome. I mean, seven is just incredible. Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times, most recently in 2017, and has placed second for the award six times.

At age 38 and playing in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr, it’s hard to imagine him ever winning the award again, especially since he wasn’t even nominated this year. When questioned about the possibility of winning an eighth Ballon d’Or this summer, after signing with MLS club Inter Miami, Messi had shared his opinions.

“I have said it many times, the Ballon d’Or is very important due to the recognition at the individual level, but I never gave it importance,” remarked the actor. For me, it was always about winning at the team level.

“After the World Cup, I’m thinking about that trophy lot less; it was the biggest prize of my career, and I’m trying to hide my happiness. If it gets here, great; if not, no harm done. I’ve been fortunate to accomplish what I set out to do in my career, and I hope to continue that success with this team.

And Messi has gotten off to a great start in the States, helping his team win the Leagues Cup and scoring 11 goals in 13 games. But Miami missed out on the MLS playoffs and Messi has his sights set on next year.

“It’s a shame,” he said. It was a close call. The final few games were played while I was away. Several of us were hurt. Our struggles intensified throughout the month of July. We traveled and played once every three days. But we were victorious in a competition, which bodes well for the club and the upcoming season.

I will practice, participate in our upcoming games (the season finale), and do everything I can to join the national team in November. After that, I plan to take advantage of the Argentinean holiday season.

It’s the first time I’ll have extra time off in December to celebrate the holidays, relax, and spend time with my family and friends. I’ll be back for preseason work in January. Always, always, always, start from beginning and make the greatest preparations you can.