Lionel Messi is a doubt for Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 fixture against Nice after falling ill in the wake of his Ballon d’Or triumph during Monday’s ceremony
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Lionel Messi wins record seventh Ballon d’Or: Darren Wells reports
Lionel Messi has fallen ill with a stomach bug just one day after he was presented with a seventh Ballon d’Or.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar, 34, mingled with the great and the good of football’s past and present during a flashy ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet on Monday night.
The event ended in more delight for Messi as he edged out Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski to win yet another golden ball trophy, adding to his six previous gongs.
But the Argentine’s mood has taken a turn for the worse as he is suffering from symptoms of gastroenteritis, a common stomach ailment.
PSG confirmed the news on Tuesday, meaning Messi is a doubt for their Ligue 1 fixture against Nice at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
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” Lionel Messi and Leandro Paredes did not participate in the training session today due to symptoms of gastroenteritis,” a statement on the club’s official website reads.
“A further check will be made tomorrow morning.”
If Messi is unavailable for the visit of Nice, PSG will hope he recovers from illness in time for their trip to Lens on Saturday.
The Barcelona legend arrived in the French capital this summer after he was unable to sign a new contract at Camp Nou, and he spoke of his pride at winning the Ballon d’Or so close to home.
“It’s very special! It’s my first year in the Paris Saint-Germain shirt, for me it’s a great honour,” Messi told PSG TV of his latest individual title.
“It’s something special and totally different to win this award here, at home, in the city where I live.
“Before, this had never happened to me because I played in Barcelona, so what I’m experiencing today is something extremely special.”
Messi won four consecutive Ballons d’Or between 2009 and 2012 before further awards in 2015 and 2019, while his seventh award pulls him further clear of five-time recipient Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Quizzed on whether he will target an eighth success at PSG, Messi insisted his priority is to win major honours with the club.
“I’m not thinking about that, I always think about the team trophies first,” he responded. “Our objectives are clear, we have the ambition to win all the trophies as a team.
“We don’t have time to think about individual things. We work every day and step by step we are growing to reach our goals as a team.”
PSG lead Ligue 1 by 12 points and they have qualified for the Champions League last 16.
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