Brazil president, Lula has come out to call on players from his country to follow the example of Lionel Messi if they want to win the Ballon d’Or. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.
According to him, the reason Brazilian players don’t win the Ballon d’Or anymore is because the current stars are more focused on partying than delivering on the football pitch.
Lula added that Messi has remained on top for so long because he has stayed a dedicated professional throughout the years.
His words, “Messi should serve as an example to Brazilian players. The 36-year-old guy, world champion, with the Ballon d’Or and everything. Messi needs to be an inspiration of dedication for these kids. Anyone who wants to win the Ballon d’Or has to dedicate themselves, they have to be professional. It doesn’t go with partying, it doesn’t go with a night out.”
WOW.
Lionel Andrés Messi, also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record seven Ballon d’Or awards and a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 he was named to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team.
Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 35 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and the UEFA Champions League four times.
With his country, he won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (eight), and most assists in La Liga (192) and the Copa América (17).
He also has the most international goals by a South American male (103). Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club (672).
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