“Without you I wouldn’t have won” - When Lionel Messi claimed he wants to share Ballon d’Or with Barcelona teammate who deserved it
Lionel Messi once stated that he wanted to share his Ballon d'Or trophy with his Barcelona teammate Xavi. The comments were made after the Argentinean won the coveted prize in 2011.
La Pulga was in scintillating form in the 2010-11 campaign, scoring 53 goals and setting up 27 more from 55 games for the Catalans. His efforts helped the LaLiga giants win the league, the Champions League, and the Supercopa de Espana.
It also earned Messi a place in the three-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or in 2011, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona teammate Xavi. La Pulga won the award for the third time in a row, while Ronaldo finished second.
While receiving the award, the Argentinean lavished praise on his club teammate.
"I'm going to share this with Xavi, It's the fourth time we've been here in Zurich; it's a great pleasure to play alongside him. Xavi, you deserve the trophy just as much as me. Without you I wouldn't have won and I want to thank you for being such a good friend,” said Messi via Sportstar.
While Xavi never won a Ballon d'Or, he is considered one of the greatest midfielders in the world and is also a Barcelona legend.
How many Ballon d'Or did Lionel Messi win with Barcelona?
Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or six times during his stay with Barcelona. The Argentinean has also lifted the coveted award with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter Miami.
La Pulga got his hands on the top prize for the first time in 2009, during his time at Camp Nou. The player went on to win four awards in a row until 2012 before Cristiano Ronaldo won his second Ballon d'Or in 2013.
The Portuguese icon also finished at the top the following year, before Lionel Messi reclaimed the prize in 2015. After missing out on the following two years to Ronaldo, the Barcelona legend won the award once again in 2019.
It was his last win as a Barcelona player, with the Argentinean leaving Camp Nou as a free agent in the summer of 2021. He went on to join PSG, and spent two seasons in Ligue 1, winning the league twice.
The 37-year-old left the Parc des Princes in the summer of 2023, as a free agent to move to Inter Miami. He currently plies his trade with the MLS side, and his contract expires at the end of this year.
