What happened. Lionel Messi won what has been framed as his greatest Ballon d'Or, a triumph that drew admiration from Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson compared Messi to Diego Maradona and Pele.

Ferguson's comparison placed Messi alongside two all-time greats.
The piece revisits the year behind Messi's standout Ballon d'Or win.

The retrospective underlines how Messi's Ballon d'Or triumph earned recognition from one of football's most respected managers.

In this story

L. Messi

Read the full story at GiveMeSport →

More to read

The Guardian

Messi’s exit leaves Argentina with impossible task of replacing their superhero | Jonathan Wilson

Football Italia

Roma refuse to let Dybala and Molina attend final Messi match

GiveMeSport

Cristiano Ronaldo Sent Rio Ferdinand Angry Texts About Lionel Messi

GiveMeSport

Lionel Messi Tipped to Win 2026 Ballon d’Or By Two World Cup Winners

Mirror Football

Argentina star makes Lionel Messi vow ahead of Ballon d'Or - 'Not a big deal'

GiveMeSport

Lionel Messi Believed England had ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Player in Their Squad