Barcelona (AFP)

Barça captain Lionel Messi on Wednesday received his sixth European Golden Shoe, an annual award given to the top scorer in the European league and awarded to Argentina with his 36 goals last season.

The 32-year-old Barcelona striker has three goals behind Kylian Mbappé, the young French striker from Paris SG having scored 33 goals in the 2018-2019 season.

Lionel Messi received the trophy from the hands of his two sons, Thiago and Mateo, and wished to dedicate this prize "in particular to (his) family and his teammates who are there", including Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba.

"I always say that without my teammates, without my team, I could never get one, it concerns everyone, it's a recognition for all the locker room," he said.

The Argentinian also wanted to ensure that Barça would fight for all titles this season:

"Obviously the Champions League is something special and every year we want to win it, but we are aware that La Liga is the most important, which is what leads to good Champions League and in Cup, "he said.

- The Golden Ball in view -

With his third consecutive Golden Shoe, the "Pulga" has taken a little more lead in the trophies on his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo who has four, while no other player has more than two , like his current teammate, the Uruguayan Luis Suarez (2014, 2016), since the creation of the award in 1967.

Lionel Messi received his first Golden Boot in 2010 with 34 goals, and continued his series in 2012 (50 goals) and 2013 (46 goals), before receiving it again in 2017 (37 goals) and 2018 (34 goals). goals).

Since the beginning of this season, the Blaugrana captain has had several injury problems that have allowed him to play only three out of eight Liga games, including only one full, with a total goal scored.

Having already won the FIFA Best Player of the Year trophy earlier this year, the Argentinian star has now her sights on another award, the prestigious Golden Ball that will be awarded on December 2 in Paris.

With the idea of ​​picking a sixth to overcome his Portuguese alter ego Cristiano Ronaldo who will still be one of its main competitors.

But like CR7, titled in Serie A, Messi won "only" the Spanish Championship last season. And none of them put their hands on the Champions League for the first time since 2013.

In the spring, the C1 returned to Liverpool. This could tip the scales on one of the stars of the "Reds": the Dutch rock Virgil van Dijk, named best player of the final, or the Senegalese striker Sadio Mané, also finalist of the African Cup nations with Teranga Lions.

First response items on October 21st with the list of named players.

© 2019 AFP