Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi brought his latest Ballon d’Or award back to the team faculty and showed it off to the players in the youth academy on Thursday.
Miami’s academy posted a video showing clips of Messi interacting with youngsters while posing for group pictures with the team and the trophy.
The 36-year-old recently won his eighth Ballon d’Or prize after edging out the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
The video posted on X showed him carrying a large case containing the trophy into one of the buildings at Miami’s practice complex before being greeted by the awaiting youth players.
Messi then took the time to exchange handshakes and hugs with one group of players before taking a group photo and then repeating the process with a younger team.
Lionel Messi showed off the Ballon d’Or award to the youth academy teams at Inter Miami
Messi recently won his eighth Ballon d’Or trophy, beating Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe
He was then joined on the field as he took photos with both groups of players and their coaches.
Miami president and co-owner David Beckham presented Messi with the Ballon d’Or after he saw off the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Kevin de Bruyne to win his eighth crown.
The Argentina captain’s claim to the Ballon d’Or came from his heroics at the World Cup last December, when he scored seven goals to inspire his country to a historic victory. Shortly after, he left Paris Saint-Germain in a record breaking deal to join Miami.
Despite missing the MLS playoffs, Messi’s impact was immediate with Miami bottom of the league before his arrival. Within two months, he led the team to its first club trophy after winning the inaugural Leagues Cup in August.
In September, Miami appeared at the US Open Cup final but lost to the Houston Dynamo.
As for the MLS regular season, Messi only played in six games due to injuries and international duties. Through those games, he scored a goal and two assists.
Messi and his teammates in Miami had been recently preparing for a short trip to China that would have included two friendlies, however the tour was recently canceled due to unforeseen circumstances.
The tour promoter, NSN, said the decision to cancel was out of respect to Chinese officials following the death last week of the country’s former second-ranking leader, Li Keqiang. He was China’s top economic official for a decade.
