Lionel Messi has been given eight golden rings, one for each of his Ballon d’Or wins.

At a fancy event in Paris on Monday, the 36-year-old Argentinian star was named the winner for the record-setting eighth time.

Adidas, a big name in clothing, gave the 14-karat gold rings to the Inter Miami forward. Each ring, which is rumored to be going up for sale, represents a different Ballon d’Or win for Messi.

They have written them about important events in Messi’s career. For example, one has three stars to represent Argentina’s World Cup wins, and another has the number “91” to represent his record number of goals in a single year.

In one of the photos that Adidas shared, Messi is shown honoring NBA legend Bill Russell.

The picture of Messi with his hands over his face and the eight rings on his head is meant to look like a famous shot from 1996 with Russell, who won 11 NBA titles.

The Argentine, who is thought to be one of the best players of all time, won this year’s Ballon d’Or award over Erling Haaland of Manchester City.

Messi had another great season. In December, he led his country to victory at the World Cup in Qatar.

He helped PSG win Ligue 1 by scoring 32 goals in 55 games across all categories. He then moved to the MLS to join David Beckham’s Inter Miami.

Beckham gave him the prestigious award at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

He said, “It’s nice to be here again to enjoy this moment.” “To win the World Cup and make my dream come true.”

When Beckham talked about Messi, he said, “It’s very special to say he’s a Miami player and he’s in our city.” In his way, he’ll celebrate with his family and teammates.

It will be a Miami-style party, we promise. I’m sure we can have a great party.

The four-time champion beat some tough opponents to win first place. Haaland came in second, Kylian Mbappe came in third, and Kevin De Bruyne came in fourth.

The 36-year-old said, “As I always said, I don’t know if I am the best player in history or not.” this time when he was asked if he was the best football player ever.

“This is great if I am one of the best.”

On Instagram, Messi also wrote, “I only have words of gratitude for all the people around the world who supported me so much during my career. I want to dedicate this award to them, along with my family, who was always by my side.”

“This is also a Ballon d’Or that I want to share with my fellow employees and technical body…” We wouldn’t have been able to win the World Cup without working together. Thanks a lot and good luck to everyone who won!

He also wished the late Argentine great Diego Maradona a happy birthday during his acceptance speech. Maradona died in 2020 of a fatal heart attack.

Since Maradona and Messi were two of the most famous soccer players born in Argentina, the 36-year-old didn’t miss the fact that he got the award on the 63rd birthday of his idol.

“This is also for you, no matter where you are.” The crowd gave Messi a warm round of applause after saying, “Happy birthday, Diego.”

His wife Antonella and their three boys Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro were on stage with him as he accepted the award.