Lionel Messi had won nearly everything in the world of football before December 2022. The Team Argentina superstar had notched the UCL, La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Ligue 1, French Cup, Copa America, and even an Olympic Gold Medal. Perhaps, the trophy he has a lot of would be the Ballon d’Or. The veteran for Inter Miami notched his eighth golden trophy over Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. However, he has more love for one other accomplishment, his World Cup.

Lionel Messi outlined why the road to his Ballon d’Or win meant more than the trophy in his latest statement, via The Athletic.

“To be able to win the World Cup and achieve my dream. To share this with all those who were involved. I couldn’t imagine having the career I’ve had and everything I’ve achieved, the fortune I’ve had to be part of the best team in history,” were the words of gratitude that the Inter Miami star had given out after beating Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Messi would then get more sentimental about his trophy as he remembers another great Argentinian legend. Diego Maradona was one of the few people that the Inter Miami star thanked for guiding him. It was supposed to be Maradona’s 63rd birthday and Messi made sure to remember the legend that came before him.

Much like his idol, he has a soft spot for Argentina. They also have both won the elusive World Cup for the country. There are a lot of trophies that Messi will continue to notch in his career. But, he knows that his triumph at Qatar will never be topped.