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Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, stayed gracious from the sidelines this year as Manchester City’s Rodri clinched the prestigious title, marking a rare occasion where neither Messi nor longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo took the honour.
It’s only the third time since 2007 that the Ballon d’Or has gone to another player, making Rodri the first 1990s-born footballer to claim the award.
Messi, however, used the moment to express pride in Argentina’s showing at the event.
The former Barcelona playmaker singled out Argentina’s national team manager Lionel Scaloni, Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, and young Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho, all of whom made notable appearances on the night.
Lautaro Martinez was nominated for the Ballon d’Or, while Garnacho was in the running for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best U21 player.
Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez, named Best Goalkeeper in the world with the Yashin Trophy, also received praise from Messi for his second consecutive win.
On Instagram, Messi wrote: “Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2024. Especially to Dibu, what a great, another award for the best goalkeeper in the world. And to Lautaro, to Leo (Scaloni) and Ale (Garnacho).”
While Garnacho missed out on the Kopa Trophy, finishing behind Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Arda Güler, his nomination highlighted Argentina’s bright future.
