Lionel Messi has become the first man ever to win the World Cup Golden Ball award twice.
The magical number 10 did not need to break any more records to cement his footballing legacy, yet, typical Messi fashion, he did it anyway.
Only the very greatest players are fortunate enough to win a single World Cup Golden Ball, so what does that say about a player who has won it twice? Perhaps the greatest-ever player?
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The first man in history to win two World Cup Golden Balls 🐐 pic.twitter.com/rtkkqN9M6i
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 18, 2022
The two trophies could not have been won in more contrasting conditions. The first came in 2014 when Argentina agonisingly lost the World Cup final to Germany to an extraordinary extra time Mario Gotze goal. The second may very well have been overshadowed by a similar scenario. Heroics from Kylian Mbappe, which saw him become only the second player ever to score a hat trick in a World Cup final, threatened to spoil the moment once more. However, this time, it was Messi and Argentina’s turn to win late on, securing World Cup success via a penalty shootout.
If he wasn’t already, Is Lionel Messi now the greatest footballer of all time?