Ballon d'Or 2023: Lionel Messi Parades Eighth Title In Front Of Fans Before Inter Miami Exhibition Match

Lionel Messi held the Ballon D'Or over his head as fireworks lit up the sky to bring a pregame ceremony to a close. And with that, Inter Miami got to celebrate the game's greatest player one more time in 2023. Messi was on the field for his Major League Soccer club on Friday night for a friendly against New York City FC, a match put together to commemorate his eighth time winning the Ballon D'Or 바카라� presented annually to the game's top player 바카라� at a black-tie ceremony in Paris last month. No other player has won that award more than five times. (More Football News)

Messi 바카라� carrying the trophy in his left hand 바카라� walked to midfield on a gold carpet laid out across the pitch, where MLS Commissioner Don Garber was among those awaiting his arrival for a brief pregame ceremony. He embraced Garber, Inter Miami owners Jorge and Jose Mas, then hoisted the trophy as the crowd roared.

바카라�To me, it is something beautiful to share with you,바카라� Messi said. 바카라�I바카라�ve only been here a little while but it really feels like I바카라�ve been here a long time.바카라� Here's how big a deal the moment was: Even Garber pulled out his cell phone to take a picture of the moment. 바카라�You, Inter Miami fans, have the best player who's ever played the game,바카라� Garber said. 

바카라�The winner of his eighth Ballon D'Or, the guy who lifted as captain the Leagues Cup for your team, thank you Leo for your belief in Major League Soccer and making your club and your league a league of choice.바카라� The game was almost irrelevant: NYCFC prevailed 2-1, and Messi had a 25-yard free kick that could have tied the game in stoppage time 바카라� but it sailed high, and the final whistle blew moments later.

It was a perfect bookend to Messi's first four months officially as part of club: Year 1 started with an on-field party and ended with another celebration with a look ahead to Year 2. 바카라�He바카라�s the main star of this match and we want to join him celebrating his eighth Ballon D바카라�Or,바카라� Inter Miami coach Gerardo 바카라�Tata바카라� Martino said. 

바카라�It바카라�s an opportunity also for us to compete. Even if it바카라�s a friendly it바카라�s an opportunity for the people and the fans to see Leo and his teammates on the field and say goodbye to the year.바카라� It was a bonus chance at a farewell, at least on the home turf. Inter Miami's home schedule was completed more than three weeks ago, with Messi not playing that night 바카라� he had just gotten back from a pair of World Cup qualifiers with Argentina.

Inter Miami was supposed to play a pair of games in China earlier this month, only to see that trip fall through because of what the team called 바카라�unforeseen circumstances.바카라� When that fell through, Inter Miami settled on another option 바카라� getting NYCFC to play an exhibition between teams that missed the ongoing MLS playoffs. Messi has been training with the team for much of the last two weeks, arriving at the team facility the morning after getting the Ballon D바카라�Or in Paris.

바카라�I want to thank all the people of Miami, not only the ones here at the stadium but in the city in general, for the way you have treated not only me but my family these last few months,바카라� Messi said. 바카라�You바카라�ve shown me a lot of love and made me feel at home.바카라� Messi, who hadn바카라�t played a match since Inter Miami바카라�s MLS finale on Oct. 21, will likely play at least twice more in 2023 바카라� Argentina has World Cup qualifying games against Uruguay (in Buenos Aires) on Nov. 16 and Brazil (in Rio de Janeiro) on Nov. 21.

The team will likely begin training for 2024 in January, with the MLS regular season possibly starting in late February. It will be a hectic year for Inter Miami, which won Leagues Cup 바카라� its first-ever trophy 바카라� shortly after Messi signed with the club this summer. The club will play in that tournament along with the U.S. Open Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup in addition to the MLS slate in 2024.

바카라�As I said at the beginning, I had no doubt that we were going to have a good time, that we were going to enjoy it,바카라� Messi said. 바카라�And today I have no doubt ... that next year is going to be a lot better. We are going to continue enjoying. We are going to continue winning titles.바카라�Martino was asked this week what still drives Messi. He said the level of competition that Messi has in practice would be the best answer.

바카라�If you saw those, you wouldn바카라�t even have to ask the question,바카라� Martino said. 바카라�You would just see right away what I mean.바카라� There are GOAT 바카라� the oft-used acronym for Greatest Of All Time 바카라� debates in plenty of sports. Basketball has Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Golf has Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus. 

Men바카라�s tennis has Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic. Some sports make it easy: recency biases notwithstanding, it바카라�s hard to argue against Simone Biles in gymnastics, Michael Phelps in men바카라�s swimming, Katie Ledecky in women바카라�s swimming. Soccer might still have a debate. But eight Ballon D바카라�Or trophies sure swing the argument Messi바카라�s way.

바카라�I believe it바카라�s over,바카라� said Inter Miami forward Benjamin Cremaschi, the 18-year-old who wasn바카라�t even 2 months old when Messi 바카라� then a baby-faced, shaggy-haired teen himself, as opposed to the bearded, close-cropped look he has now 바카라� scored his first official goal for Barcelona in 2005. 바카라�He바카라�s proved that for the last 18 years. I think he is the best player in the world, the best player in history. And I don바카라�t know if many people disagree. It바카라�s obviously a little bit biased, but from what I바카라�ve seen, I haven바카라�t seen anyone better yet.바카라�