Photo credit: Lionel Messi Instagram

Lionel Messi thanked the global community that has supported him throughout his illustrious career as the football legend dedicated his recent Ballon d'Or award to his loyal supporters. He also made special mention of his family, who have stood by him unwaveringly.

In his social media post, shared with his millions of followers, Messi said, "Solo tengo palabras de agradecimiento para toda la gente de todo el mundo que tanto me apoyó durante mi carrera y a quienes quiero dedicar de manera especial este premio, junto con mi familia que siempre estuvo a mi lado." This translates to, "I only have words of gratitude for all the people from around the world who supported me so much throughout my career, and I want to dedicate this award, especially to them, along with my family, who have always been by my side."

The Argentinian superstar, who recently won his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or, went on to acknowledge the collective effort behind his success. He shared, "Este es un Balón de Oro que también quiero compartir con mis compañeros de @afaseleccion, cuerpo técnico, los empleados… Porque sin el Mundial que logramos juntos hubiera sido imposible ganarlo." This translates to, "This is a Ballon d'Or that I also want to share with my teammates from @afaseleccion, the coaching staff, the employees... Because without the World Cup we achieved together, winning it would have been impossible."

Messi concluded his post by extending his congratulations to all the other award winners and expressing his deep gratitude, saying, "Felicitaciones a todos los premiados y muchas gracias!" (Congratulations to all the awardees, and thank you very much!)