Messi to Attend Ballon d'Or Ceremony with Wife and Three Children

Lionel Messi, Argentina's former captain and a record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, has confirmed he will attend this month's Ballon d'Or ceremony, which will be held in London on the 26th. Messi is again among the contenders for the award, which is voted by national team coaches and captains as well as selected journalists. Alongside Messi, the contenders are expected to include England captain Harry Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich; France captain Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid; and Spain and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal. In many rankings, Messi is behind those players. France Football, which organizes the Ballon d'Or, will honor Messi, and his representatives said he will attend the ceremony with his wife and three children. This underscores the special nature of the ceremony. However, France Football has not said whether Messi will receive the Super Ballon d'Or, though the matter has been discussed before. After the World Cup ended in July, Messi stopped playing for Argentina. The 39-year-old forward played in three World Cup finals during his career and won the 2022 tournament. He played 208 matches for Argentina and scored 126 goals. He spent a major part of his club career at Barcelona, moved to PSG in 2021 and, two years later, began playing for Inter Miami in the United States.