Lionel Messi developed a special relationship with Ronaldinho during their time together at Barcelona, and the Brazilian legend has been a huge part of Messi’s life ever since. The Barcelona icon once predicted Lionel Messi’s future for Kobe Bryant, and Messi has lived up to every single word, even beyond.
Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or award on Monday night over Erling Haaland, and his victory has attracted an emotional response from the man who always knew he would be the best. In the aftermath of the ceremony, Ronaldinho took to social media to congratulate the man of the moment.
Ronaldinho’s heartfelt words to Lionel Messi
“Kobe, look, I’m going to introduce you to the guy who is going to be the best player of all time,” Ronaldinho told Kobe Bryant, as revealed by the late NBA legend. Ronaldinho knew Lionel Messi was going to be the greatest player of all time when he was 17 years old, and Messi drew some strong words from the Brazilian after winning his eighth Ballon d’Or on Monday night in France.
“Congratulations, @leomessi. Once again the best player in the world!!! Very happy for you, my brother. A big hug,” Ronaldinho posted on Instagram alongside a picture of Lionel Messi with his latest Ballon d’Or trophy.
Lionel Messi claimed his first award in 2009 and won four in a row until 2012, making him the first player ever to do that. In 2009, Messi claimed the award over Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi. Cristiano Ronaldo broke Messi’s run in 2013 when he claimed the award over the Argentine and won it two consecutive times before Messi reclaimed his place in 2015.
Ronaldo resumed his run in 2016 and won it again in 2017, which was the last time the Portuguese forward won the award. Luka Modric broke the Ronaldo-Messi Ballon d’Or monopoly in 2018 when he became the first player to win it other than Messi or Ronaldo in almost a decade.
Brazilian icon Neymar Jr. congratulates Lionel Messi
Ronaldinho is not the only ex-Barcelona player to pay tribute to Lionel Messi following his latest Ballon d’Or win. Neymar Jr., who now plies his trade at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, also took his time to congratulate his friend and former Barcelona and PSG teammate on winning his eighth Ballon d’Or on Monday night.
“Congratulations, Leo, you’re the best,” the Brazilian superstar wrote on his Instagram story with a picture of Messi holding his latest Ballon d’Or trophy.
While Messi is having a great time, the same can’t be said of Neymar, who suffered a long-term injury in Brazil’s loss to Uruguay in a World Cup qualifying game.
Al-Hilal and the Brazil national team confirmed this in a statement. Neymar has reportedly undergone surgery and will now focus on the next phase of recovery in his native Brazil.
Will anyone be able to beat Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or record in the future? Tell us your predictions in the comments section.
