Superstar Lionel Messi was seen happily chatting with his wife Antonela in Florida, USA over the weekend – one day before going to Paris, France to attend the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony.
A fan captured the moment Messi and his wife enjoyed a sunny day in Naples, Florida. Bodyguard Yassine Chueko also appeared in the photo, sitting nearby with a “criminal” face focused on ensuring security for his client.
Daily Mail reported that Chueko is often present at Inter Miami matches, closely following Messi, but it is unclear whether he will go to France with Messi to attend the Golden Ball award ceremony.
At the awards ceremony taking place at the Chatelet Theater, Paris, tonight (October 30), Messi is the biggest candidate for the title of Best Player of the Year in the list of 30 nominees.
If he wins, Messi will have 8 Golden Balls, continuing to be the player with the most titles, 3 more than the person behind Ronaldo.
He won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021. Messi has finished second five times and third once.
In his most recent Ballon d’Or win, Messi caused a stir when he defended his wife on the red carpet of the awards ceremony. He disagreed when his wife Antonela was brought out by a member of the organizing committee during a family photo shoot. The Argentine superstar and his wife are childhood friends, dating since their teens and have three sons.
In a conversation with Olga last month, Messi revealed that he keeps his World Cup medals, Cups and Ballon d’Or trophies, jerseys, and football memorabilia in his own museum in Barcelona, Spain.
The superstar born in 1987 has been with the Catalan team since his teenage years, winning all the individual and collective glory at Barca before having to leave in 2021. After two “unhappy” years at PSG, Messi found the joy of playing football again at Inter Miami.
A brilliant performance at the 2022 World Cup helped Messi become the brightest name for the 2023 Golden Ball. In addition, the veteran striker had 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 matches for PSG last season.
Messi’s biggest rival in this competition is Man City striker Erling Haaland . The Norwegian star was the top scorer in both the Premier League and Champions League last season, helping the English team win an impressive treble.
In addition to the Ballon d’Or for male players, France Football magazine also awards many other awards such as the Women’s Ballon d’Or, Best Young Player (Kopa Trophy) or Best Goalkeeper (Yashin Trophy).
In the female player award, Aitana Bonmati is considered the most promising candidate. She has shone brightly to help Barcelona win the Women’s Champions League and help the Spanish women’s team win the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Previously, the 25-year-old midfielder received the award for best player of the 2023 Women’s World Cup and was recently honored by UEFA with the award for best player of the year.
