Lionel Messi was honored with the Golden Boot earlier today which is awarded to last season’s highest goal scorer in any major European league. The Barcelona man scored 34 regular season goals for the La Liga champs not to mention 8 in the UEFA Champions League although those goals do not count towards the prestigious award. Messi beat out Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Udinese’s Antonio di Natale for the highest total both of those men finished their seasons with 29 goals.
Messi has achieved just about anything and everything that an under-25 year old footballer can dream of achieving. The Argentine forward has already won the UEFA Champions League Player and Forward of the Year, he has won the same honor for La Liga, and the entire world for that matter. Messi is also on the lone treble winning team in Spain’s history meaning that he won the league title, Champions League title, and Cop del Rey title all in the same year. But the one remaining trophy that he hasn’t held high into the air yet is the World Cup.
Despite still hoping to make that dream a reality, Messi did join an elite status of being one of only four men in European football history as winner of three different major individual awards: Messi is owner of a Golden Boot, FIFA Player of the Year and the Golden Ball which is given to Europe’s top player each season. The other three men on the list include: Marco van Basten, Ronaldo, and Messi’s rival at Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo formerly of Manchester United fame.
So despite the World Cup title, I would say Messi is in good company. Congrats Mr. Messi.
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