Reports : Lionel Messi has donated his 8th Ballon d'Or trophy to FC Barcelona museum

The 36-year-old forward defeated rivals Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to gain control of the coveted trophy for a record-tying eighth time after leading Argentina towards a historic World Cup victory. Messi was honored at a chic ceremony in Paris after scoring 21 goals and dishing out 20 assists for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2022–2023 season.

Lionel Messi said during the presentation that, "Thank you very much, to share this with my national team-mates for what we were able to achieve with the national team. The entire group, the coaching staff, everyone involved. I’m delighted to be here once more to be able to enjoy this moment one more time."

Shortly after the award presentation, journalist Miquel Blazquez claimed that the Inter Miami winger was donating his most recent Ballon d'Or award to the Barcelona museum. Additionally, Blazquez shed light on Messi's choice.

He said, "The visitors really wanted something like this. They want to feel closer to Barca’s hero. It makes it clear that Barça is about emotions and sensations and that as well as showing our history. The club is also a world of excitement and fantasy and who better to show that excitement and fantasy than Leo Messi."

Soon after, videos from the Barcelona museum surfaced, showcasing Messi's accomplishments, which included two Golden Boot awards, in addition to the 2023 Ballon d'Or trophy. 

The Messi portion was initially inaugurated in 2016. It was actually the first occasion Barcelona had given a player who had continued to play a special place. The director of the museum, Jordi Penas, clarified that the area was built in response to a genuine request from supporters of Barcelona who went to the well-liked Camp Nou Experience.

“ I'm happy to have achieved everything” : Lionel Messi

When asked if he may win the Ballon d'Or trophy for a ninth time in his career, Messi responded in a typically humble manner when asked whether another trophy might be shown in the museum in the near future.

The former FC Barcelona superstar said, "If I dream for the ninth Ballon d'Or? No, no, I stopped thinking about the Ballon d'Or a while ago, and winning it was never a priority for me, especially now that I have achieved everything in my career. I think it's the last Ballon d'Or and I'm happy to have achieved everything and be the player with eight Ballon d'Ors.”