(Football news) Having cemented his name as one of the greatest players in the history of sports, Lionel Messi has now been named BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year. The 35 year old Argentine captained his team to World Cup glory, the country’s first title in 36 years and was awarded the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament, scoring seven goals. Messi scored twice against France in the World Cup final at the Lusail Stadium and also converted a penalty during the shootouts as Argentina secured a 4-2 victory over Les Bleus following a thrilling 3-3 draw.
The BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year award adds to his already impressive collection of seven Ballon d’Ors, four Champions Leagues, one Copa America, 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona and a Ligue 1 crown with PSG. He has also scored an impressive 793 goals in his career and has publicly said that the Qatar World Cup will be his last.
However, Messi will not be retiring from international football just yet, saying he would like “to continue by experiencing a few more games as a world champion”. The 2021 winner of the BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year award was Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore and the honour is given by a panel to an athlete who has achieved significant sporting success on the world stage throughout the year.
Messi has had an impressive domestic campaign with Paris Saint-Germain so far, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists in 19 appearances. Speaking after lifting the World Cup trophy, the 35 year old said “It’s everyone’s dream when they’re little. I’ve been lucky enough to achieve everything and what I was missing, I found here.” He will turn 39 by the time the 2026 World Cup takes place in the United States, Canada and Mexico and while he has already ruled out his participation, fans will undoubtedly hope that he will change his mind and represent Argentina at the World Cup once again.
Also read: Argentina fans celebrate team’s WC triumph with firecrackers, trumpets, ‘Messi, Messi’ chants
