Messi, who left Barcelona as a free agent to sign for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, was presented with the award for best men’s footballer in the world on Monday night in Paris after another record-breaking 12 months for club and country.

He saw off competition from Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho.

 “I’m proud to win the France Football Ballon d’Or once again,” said Messi. “It’s incredible to win it for the seventh time. I would like to thank my family, my friends, and all the people who follow me and always support me because without them I couldn’t have done it”.

Messi, who wore a sparkly dinner jacket at the ceremony in Paris, collected the honour for a record sixth time in 2019 – one ahead of great rival Cristiano Ronaldo – before the awards were cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Poland international Lewandowski, 33, who was widely expected to win last year, finished second after scoring 38 goals in 30 league games for Bayern in 2021.

Meanwhile, Jorginho finished third after a standout year in which he helped Italy to glory at the delayed Euro 2020 after lifting the Champions League trophy with Chelsea in May.

Chelsea also won the club of the year award for having most players nominated across all of the categories.

Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling was the highest-ranked England player for the men’s award, finishing 15th, with compatriots Mason Mount, Harry Kane, and Phil Foden 19th, 23rd, and 25th respectively.

The Argentina superstar has once again been named the best player on the planet, with Robert Lewandowski finishing as runner-up

Lionel Messi has his hands on the Ballon d’Or once again, with mercurial Argentina claiming the seventh Golden Ball of his remarkable career to date.

The latest of those prestigious prizes was collected at a glitzy gala in Paris on Monday, with the PSG superstar not having to travel far after severing ties with La Liga giants Barcelona in the summer.

Having been recognized as the best player on the planet for 2021, Messi is now two triumphs clear of eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo – with a five-time winner now at Manchester United finishing outside of the top three for the first time since 2010.

Why did Messi win the Ballon d’Or?

Messi topped the chart after enjoying another memorable year with the club and country.

He helped Barcelona to Copa del Rey glory back in April, before going on to land a first senior trophy with Argentina at the 2021 Copa America – a competition that also saw him named Player of the Tournament.

The football world was stunned shortly after that success when it emerged that Barcelona could not afford to tie a talismanic figure to a new contract, with a career-long association with Catalan heavyweights brought to a close as Messi headed to France.

He has found the going a little tougher at PSG, but registered three assists on his last outing against Saint-Etienne and has four goals to his name through 11 appearances