Watch: ‘Completely Deserved It’ – Mauricio Pochettino Congratulates Lionel Messi for Winning the Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi won his seventh Ballon d’Or Monday night, beating out FC Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. The 34-year-old continued to add to his record and became the first player wearing a Paris Saint-Germain jersey to win the prestigious award.

At his press conference, manager Mauricio Pochettino spoke to the media, where he wanted to congratulate Messi for his accomplishment. Furthermore, the Argentine tactician stated that the 34-year-old deserved the award despite the criticism that came with the decision. 

“First, I want to publicly congratulate Leo and his family. Winning seven golden balloons is an extraordinary achievement. I hope he takes advantage of it and that it’s the first day to work on getting the 8th. For all the players, having it with 6 and 7 golden balls is something extraordinary, and we are delighted to have it here every day,” Pochettino said.

“We hope at the end of the year to also have collective trophies beyond the individual trophies. The critics? Messi completely deserved it, and there is no debate. Of course, in other countries, there may be criticism, but it completely deserved it.”