Paris (AFP)

A huge jump to the heights: with a sixth Ballon d'Or won on Monday, Lionel Messi continued to forge his myth in 2019, that of a discreet and reserved Argentine "Chip" become a legend of football.

At 32, four years after his last coronation, the little elf born in Rosario (Argentina) won his sixth Ballon d'Or, thanks to an ordinary year 2019 for him, extraordinary for the others, punctuated by the records, in the lineage of his incredible career.

With this sixth title of best player on the planet, gleaned Monday in Paris in front of Liverpool stars Virgil Van Dijk (2nd) and Sadio Mané (4th), and his rival intern Cristiano Ronaldo (3rd), Messi is now alone in the world.

"The Pulga" ("The Chip" in Spanish) is perched up there, in front of legends like Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco Van Basten (3 Ballons d'Or each) and especially, in front of Cristiano Ronaldo ( 5 Balloons of Gold).

The little goblin "Leo" (1,69 m, 72 kg), captain of FC Barcelona in July 2018 after the departure of Andrés Iniesta, has once again marked the football world in 2019 with his talent and sense of collective .

After his 10th Spanish title win in May with the Catalan club, Messi scored twice in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Liverpool in the first leg (3-0), scoring his 700th goal in the first leg. Barça, but was eliminated on return to Anfield (4-0).

With 36 goals scored, UEFA's best striker of the year 2019 won his sixth European Golden Boot (an all-time record), which rewards the top scorer in all championships.

- An elf become legend -

When the football world had discovered Messi, she was moved by the destiny of this kid who had problems of growth and who had left Rosario at the age of 13 to find in Barcelona a club that finances his medical treatment.

Launched in the first team in 2004, the striker won four league titles (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015), becoming the most successful player of the club (35 trophies, including 10 Ligas, 4 Champions Leagues, 6 Cups King, 3 Club Worlds and 3 European Supercups).

Despite a slight hole in the air in 2013-2014 with the outbreak of injuries, the records continued to fall, one by one: top scorer of Barca (614 goals and 240 assists), top scorer in La Liga (428) , record holder of the number of goals in a calendar year (91 in 2012) ...

After 700 matches played in the blaugrana jersey (he passed this bar last week during his recital against Dortmund, 3-1), Messi has signed an effective 2018-2019 exercise, to afford his 6th Ballon d'Or ( 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019). He therefore resumed his good, after letting the Croatian Luka Modric interfere in 2018 in the undivided reign he led with his best enemy Cristiano Ronaldo for ten years (winner in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).

- Positive image despite tax evasion -

Few shadows at the table of the taciturn Argentine star. Not having won C1 for four years, maybe. To have won nothing with Argentina, no doubt, even if the 2008 Olympic champion reached the finals of the World Cup-2014 and the Copa America in 2007, 2015 and 2016, putting his place of N.1 in the heart of the Argentineans in balance with the whimsical legend Diego Maradona, who had led the Albiceleste to the world title in 1986.

Taste of the game, touching shyness and a childish smile have earned the Argentinian a much less "bling-bling" image than that of his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, transferred last year from Real Madrid to Juventus of Turin, and third of ranking of the Ballon d'Or 2019.

That could have changed with his conviction to 21 months in prison (which he will not serve) and 2.1 million euros in fines imposed by the Spanish Supreme Court in 2017 for tax evasion, a few weeks before his marriage with Antonella , his childhood friend.

Despite these struggles, the years have given the little elf of Rosario, daddy of three boys (Thiago, Mateo and Ciro) titles and records, many tattoos, a beard now well supplied, and with this 6th Ballon d'Or , an untouchable place of living legend of football.

© 2019 AFP