'Should Have Been Awarded Ballon d'Or...': Barca Star Makes Big Claim On Lionel Messi

Last Updated:August 11, 2025, 10:00 IST

Cesc Fabregas believes that Lionel Messi should have won the Ballon d'Or every year.

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times (Picture credit: AFP)

Former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has said that his one-time teammate Lionel Messi should have been awarded the Ballon d’Or every year and he was a game-changing player for his team and hence, deserved the coveted trophy every time he was nominated.

After his stellar rise at such a young age, Lamine Yamal has already earned comparisons to Barcelona’s greatest ever footballer, Messi.

Fabregas has hailed Yamal as a wonderful talent, but insisted that Messi was on a different level. He added that Yamal could reach the latter’s level if he continues his progress.

“The only player I’ve seen who should have been awarded Ballon d’Or every year was Leo [Messi]. Right now, maybe [Lamine Yamal] isn’t there yet, but I think if he continues at this level and keeps progressing, he could also reach that level of being so, so dominant in that great trophy," Fabregas was quoted as saying by Stadium Astro English on Dailymotion. 

“Leo, win or lose, was the best, but every three days, he scored two goals and made the difference. He was a dominant player in every aspect. From here on, Lamine is very good, very young and he’ll have to keep improving, because I understand that this will only be the beginning for him," Fabregas added. 

Messi isn’t just Barcelona’s greatest footballer ever, but one of the best players to have ever graced the game as well.

Barcelona, who won a Spanish league and cup double, are represented by four footballers in the Ballon d’Or nomination list including the youngest, Yamal, who has just turned 18 and the oldest, 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski.

Real Madrid, who boycotted last year’s ceremonies claiming to be outraged that Rodri was preferred to Vinicius, have three nominees, including the latter.

Napoli are rewarded for winning Italy’s Serie A with one selection, Scott McTominay, who becomes the first Scottish nominee since Ally McCoist in 1987.

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First Published:

August 11, 2025, 10:00 IST

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