Adidas gave Messi eight 'champion rings': one for each Ballon d'Or he has won [Photo]

Leo Messi increased his legend even more by receiving this Monday the eighth Ballon d’Or of his career, which recognizes him as the best player of the year, a recognition that his largest sponsor, the German sports brand Adidas, wanted to celebrate by giving him eight ‘champion rings’ in the best style of the different sports in the United States.

Once it was confirmed that the Argentine star was the winner of the Ballon d’Or, something that was already known unofficially, Adidas published a photo on its social networks of the Inter Miami player with the eight rings in his hands, but these were not garments. normal championships, but each one had a particular characteristic of a moment that marked each year in which they won this award.

Each of these rings has a different meaning, from the first Ballon d’Or he won in 2009, to this one in 2023, which is possibly the last award of this type he will receive in his career.

• Ballon d’Or 2009: “The Kiss”, named after his iconic celebration in the Champions League Final against Manchester United where he celebrated by kissing one of his boots.
• Ballon d’Or 2010: “Apunta al Cielo”, recreates the famous celebration that Lionel Messi does in each of his goals, with his figure and hands pointing to the sky.
• Ballon d’Or 2011: “The Goat”, in reference to being the first Barcelona player to win three Ballon d’Ors in a row and win the Champions League as well.
• Ballon d’Or 2012: “91”, for the number of total goals he scored that season with the Spanish team in all competitions.
• Ballon d’Or 2015: “Champion”, named in celebration of having won its fourth Champions League, the ring has the four small trophies of the UEFA tournament.
• Ballon d’Or 2019: “European Golden Boot”, dedicated to having achieved, for the sixth time in his career, being the best scorer in all of Europe.
• Ballon d’Or 2021: “Albiceleste de Argentina”, in honor of being champion of the 2021 Copa América with Argentina and breaking a streak of almost 30 years without winning that trophy.
• Ballon d’Or 2023: “World Champion 2022”, without further ado, is for the title obtained in the last Qatar 2022 World Cup with the Albiceleste.

Messi won this recognition as best player of 2023, among other things, for his conquest of the Qatar World Cup in 2022 with the Argentina team. In this award he surpassed the Norwegian Erling Haaland, who won the treble (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions) with Manchester City, and the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, who won Ligue 1 with PSG and was runner-up in the world with France.

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