Lionel Messi recently won the eighth Ballon d’Or award in his career. Lionel Messi managed to get 462 points in the Ballon d’Or voting, ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe who were only able to get 357 and 270 points respectively.
Inter Miami, as the team currently being defended by Lionel Messi, decided to give appreciation to Messi for his career achievements. Through its official website, Inter Miami stated that the club will hold a Noche d’Or (Golden Night) as a form of the club’s appreciation for Messi.
Messi’s Ballon d’Or award will also be shown to fans who come to the DRV PNK Stadium on Friday (10/11/2023). Inter Miami will not only show off Messi’s awards, but will also entertain fans with a friendly match against New York City FC, which also involves Messi. Messi will be given a moment to give a speech regarding the award he received.
Messi became the first active player for a Major League Soccer (MLS) club to win the Ballon d’Or award. The MLS website states that Messi’s 2023 Ballon d’Or presentation event will be decorated with gold fireworks and a gold carpet.
Previously, Messi showed off the 2023 Ballon d’Or trophy to Inter Miami academy players. In the video shared by Inter Miami on social media, Messi is seen carrying the 2023 Ballon d’Or trophy. He was greeted with loud applause and chants of “Messi, Messi, Messi”. “Inspiring future generations,” wrote Inter Miami in caption for a video of Messi showing off the 2023 Ballon d’Or trophy to academy players.
The Ballon d’Or award returned to Messi after Karim Benzema won it in 2022 and this also closed Messi’s sweet journey from 2022 to 2023. Moreover, Messi’s long wait to lift the World Cup trophy paid off completely at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This is one of the main reasons Messi won the 2023 Ballon d’Or.
Messi himself has actually not been with Inter Miami for a year. He joined last July when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired. However, it didn’t take long for Messi to make an impact. Through 14 appearances, Messi contributed 14 goals and 8 assists, Messi also presented the first trophy in Inter Miami’s history, namely the 2023 Leagues Cup. Messi also brought two of his former FC Barcelona colleagues, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
