The 8 gold rings that Messi owns all have their own special meaning.

On October 31, superstar Lionel Messi surpassed Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and many other names to win the 2023 Golden Ball. This is the 8th time Messi has won this title, an unprecedented achievement in history. .

The person ranked 2nd on the list is Cristiano Ronaldo who also only has 5 titles. Ranked 3rd are 3 legends Johan Cruyff, Michelle Platini and Marco Van Basten, each with 3 titles.

After the honor ceremony, Messi also received good news when a sponsor gave him 8 special gold rings, each of which has its own meaning.

Memorable picture

Possessing a surprise gift, Messi took an attention-grabbing photo. Here, the Argentinian superstar used his hand to support his chin. Except for his two thumbs, the remaining fingers wore rings.

It is not difficult for many people to realize that Messi’s picture is replicating the image of basketball legend Bill Russell. During his 13 years at the top, Russell spent all of his time with the Boston Celtics Club. He contributed to the most successful period in the team’s history when he won the championship 11 times, in 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969.

Messi’s recent photo was inspired by the legendary photo of Bill Russell

For each championship, Russell receives a special ring. Therefore, after retiring, Russell owned 11 rings. In 1996, the photo series he took with all the rings quickly went viral, inspiring Messi’s recent photo.

Below the photo wearing Messi’s ring is the caption: “The greatest, that’s what we tell you time and time again.”

The special meaning of the rings

In fact, the 8 rings that Messi just owned all have their own meaning. Each ring is engraved with a specific year, associated with the time the Argentine superstar won the Golden Ball.

2009: “El Beso”

Messi’s first ring has the words “El Beso” meaning “kiss” and the number 2009. This product was inspired by Messi’s celebration by kissing his shoes after scoring against MU at the tournament. C1 Cup final in 2009.

2010: “Apunta Al Cielo”

Messi’s second ring was engraved in 2010 with the words “Apunta Al Cielo”, which means “pointing to the sky”. This ring was made to pay tribute to Messi’s way of celebrating, pointing to the sky. The Argentinian superstar often does this act in memory of his grandmother Celia.

2011: GOAT

“GOAT” stands for “greatest of all time”. 2011 was also an extremely successful year for Messi when he won the C1 Cup, won La Liga and pocketed the Golden Ball title.

2012: 91

The ring in 2012 had the number 91 printed on it – this is the total number of goals that Messi scored in 2012. This achievement has not yet been broken.

2015: “Champions League Triumph”

Messi’s fifth ring is engraved with the words “Champions League Glory”. Also this year, Messi and Barca won the treble, including the Champions League title. This is also the closest C1 Cup the Argentine superstar has had.

2019: “Golden Shoe Excellence”

On the 2019 ring, the words “Fantastic Golden Shoe” were engraved. This is the ring that marks the last time Messi won the “Golden Shoe” title with 36 goals scored in La Liga. At this time, Messi owns 6 “Golden Shoes”, the most in history.

2021: “South American Champion”

The phrase “South American Champion” means “South American champion”, paying tribute to the Copa America championship title that Messi won with Argentina in 2021. This title also marks Messi’s first championship. in the national team colors.

2023: “Argentina World Champion”

Messi’s 8th and last ring has the words “world champion Argentina”. After completing his trophy collection with the 2022 World Cup Gold Cup, Messi pocketed his 8th Golden Ball title.