Messi after receiving his second Golden Boot: “My dream is to be a Barça player when I retire”

Barcelona (FCB).- Leo Messi received this Monday in Barcelona his second Golden Boot, recognising him as last season’s top scorer in European leagues, with the impressive 50 goals at La Liga. During the press conference that followed the Golden Boot award ceremony, Lionel Messi thanked FC Barcelona for giving him a chance to play football and expressed his desire to be a Barça player when he decides to hang up his boots: “I’m very thankful to Barça because they gave me a chance to realise my dream. My dream is to be a Barça player when I retire. The most important thing is that I continue to grow at Barça and I’d like to continue growing until the end.” Besides, this Monday it has been released that 5 FC Barcelona players – Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Piqué and Busquets – are among the 23 candidates for the next FIFA Ballon d’Or award. It is the first time Sergio Busquets was nominated.

Messi’s objectives

Messi reiterated that he’s never been focused on winning individual awards, rather his objectives have always been tied to group achievements and “winning titles.” He added: “My challenge is to win the Liga, the Copa del Rey, and win the Champions League again, and that things continue to go well in the national team.” The Argentinean went on to say that “I have never focused on winning individual awards and I won’t start now.”

FC Barcelona’s player admitted that he doesn’t remember all of the goals he scored last season: “It’s easier for me to remember the important goals, not necessarily the prettiest ones. I don’t remember all the goals I scored last season, but I do remember the important ones in the Copa del Rey, the Club World Cup and the Super Cup.” For Messi it’s an honour to be so close to breaking the record of goals scored in a calendar year set by Pelé: “It’s an honour to be so close to someone that was so big in the world of football.”

Motivated by “the desire to always win more”

FC Barcelona’s forward is clear that his biggest motivation is to fight on a daily basis “to always achieve more.” He added: “My objective is to win as much as possible until I retire. There is really nothing that motivates me other than the desire to go above and beyond.”

Ballon d'Or candidates

5 FC Barcelona players – Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Piqué and Busquets – are among the 23 candidates for the next Ballon d’Or award. When Messi was asked which team-mates he would like to see on the FIFA Ballon d’Or candidates list – at the time he didn’t know that five Barça players had been nominated for the award – he said that he’d like to see “the whole team on the list, because anyone on the team deserves it.”