This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
On December 4, 2019, Lionel Messi made history by winning the Ballon d'Or award for a record sixth time, beating Van Dijk and Ronaldo to the prestigious prize.
At 32 years old at the time, Messi had already achieved great success in his career, but he still had his eyes set on winning more awards in the coming years.
Speaking to L'Equipe, Messi expressed his gratitude for the recognition and said, "I could not imagine it. I would never have thought of winning even one."
He also tipped Kylian Mbappe to win the coveted prize, saying, "But I am very happy. It's a recognition that makes me proud. Maybe I will win more. Maybe, I do not know when. Kylian Mbappe could too. Surely he's a great player."
Mbappe, who finished sixth on the top 10 shortlist, had a remarkable season with 70 goals and 36 assists in 100 appearances for PSG.
