Lionel Messi scooped a historic seventh Ballon d’Or award last night, establishing a two-award lead over eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo and adding yet another layer in the who-is-better debate. To celebrate the victory, adidas have rolled out a special stunt that leaves no one in doubt as to who they think the Greatest Of All Time is.
The debate about who is the GOAT of football will rage on forever, but now Lionel Messi has the advantage of having daylight in the amount of Ballon d’Or awards he has on his shelf, with his seventh title marking him two above Cristiano Ronaldo. Now whether he should have scooped this year’s award is open for debate… Robert Lewandowski surely would have strolled to the award last year, but was robbed by a stinking pandemic and a strange decision to not go ahead with the ceremony. This year though, Messi guided his nation to International glory, scored twice in the final of the Copa Del Rey as Barca won, and finished as the top scorer in La Liga. For anyone else those feats would be amazing, but for Messi it seems average.
Still, whether you agree with the award or not, it’s happened, and adidas have been quick to celebrate, launching a physical stunt in Paris with seven golden goat statues lined up in front of the Eiffel Tower. The goat statues will travel across various locations in central and greater Paris before being gifted to various causes and communities. A touch too much? Nah, we’re talking about a guy that’s won the Ballon d’Or in three different decades.
Three of the first stops on the Goats' grand tour around Paris saw the statues presented to members of the public in Nanterre, Evry and Fresnes. At these locations, people were allowed to get a close up look at the golden goats, enjoying photos and even getting some signature Messi merch!
Is this the end of the Messi/Ronaldo Ballon d'Or era? Won't be if one of them wins the World Cup next year.
