Lionel Messi could win the Super Ballon d'Or at the end of this decade, when he will most likely be retired from football.
It has been widely reported that Messi, who joined Inter Miami in July, has been told he will win the Ballon d'Or for the eighth time at a ceremony in Paris on Monday night.
The Argentine is tipped to see off competition from Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to claim the award after inspiring Argentina to their first World Cup triumph since 1986.
But there is one individual award that Messi has yet to win. It's the Super Ballon d'Or.
The Super Ballon d'Or, the most prestigious and rarest award that only one player has won in history
The exclusive award, given to the best men's player of the past three decades, has only been awarded once, in 1989.
The winner at the time was Alfredo Di Stefano, who scored 308 goals and won 17 trophies and two Ballon d'Ors during his illustrious career at Real Madrid.
Di Stefano was chosen in a vote involving the fans, a jury of the magazine France Football and previous Ballon d'Or winners.
Second place went to Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, who won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
Michel Platini came third, having won the Ballon d'Or three years in a row between 1983 and 1985.
Of course, at the time only European players were eligible for the trophy, meaning Pele and Diego Maradona were not considered.
According to the newspaper AS, there has been speculation that the Super Ballon d'Or could be awarded again in 2029, and if so, Messi is likely to be the clear favourite.
Barring Monday night's expected win, the Argentine has won seven Ballon d'Ors over three decades, won four Champions League trophies, 10 La Liga titles and won a World Cup and Copa America with his national team. . /Telegraph/
