Messi ‘not obsessed’ with awards

Lionel Messi has claimed that he is not obsessed by the pursuit of more Ballon d'Or awards after he won his fourth straight trophy earlier this week.

The Barcelona star became the most decorated player in history on Monday as he was crowned the world's best footballer for the fourth time.

But the Argentina international has insisted that he is not driven by individual honours.

“I would like to win more,” he told France Football. “But it is not an obsession. I just want to enjoy the present.

“I have said repeatedly that there is no better feeling than winning a title with your teammates. Individual awards do not cause the same adrenaline in me.

“I am happy, but winning a final, raising a glass and sharing it with the whole team is unmatched in my opinion.

“When I close my eyes and think of my career, the first image that comes to mind is the night we beat Manchester United [in the Champions League final] in Rome.

“The records are nice, but I do not dream about that.”

He then commented on what each Ballon d'Or trophy meant and also remarked on his future ambitions.

“The first was unique because I was surrounded by my family. The second was a complete shock to me – I was not expecting it at all.

“The third meant I joined Platini, Cruyff and Van Basten, so it was an honour.

“And with this one I have passed them. Each one is important, but they are all different.

“I do not have any real objectives,” he added. “The games are always hard, so I'm not going to always score more than 91 goals.”

Tags Ballon d'Or Messi
La Liga - Club News