Didier Drogba to hand out men’s Ballon d’Or award, amid discussions on recipient’s retirement

It has been officially disclosed that Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba will hand out the men’s edition of the Ballon d’Or award in the famous city of Paris on Monday.

The 45-year-old Ivorian star announced in a video on Twitter that the award will be handed out on Monday, mentioning some things expected to be discussed at the magnificent award-giving event.

‘On Monday, we’re going to present the 67th ceremony of the Ballon d’Or France Football,’ said Drogba. ‘And we are going to talk about the last two World Cups. We’re going to talk about the treble of Manchester City.

‘And amazing individual performances, men and women football as well. So I see you on Monday. You ready? Who’s going to be the next Ballon d’Or France Football?’

Didier Drogba is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the all-time top scorer and former captain of the Ivory Coast national team. Drogba played for several clubs throughout his career, including Chelsea F.C., Galatasaray S.K., and Olympique de Marseille. He joined Chelsea F.C. in 2004 and became one of the club’s most successful players, winning numerous titles, including the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. Drogba represented the Ivory Coast national team, earning over 100 caps and scoring a record number of goals. He has also been involved in various charitable activities, including the Didier Drogba Foundation, which focuses on healthcare and education in Africa.

Lionel Messi has been announced as the winner of the 2023 Ballon d’Or, though many still think the decision was a blunder.

Messi is the top goal scorer of all time for Argentina, having scored over one hundred goals with the national team. He holds the record for the most goals scored by an Argentine player after scoring 106 goals in 178 appearances and has won Copa America, Finalissima, and World Cup titles.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner saddened his countrypeople when he revealed he would not be in their FIFA World Cup 2026 team. His exact reply when asked whether he would feature in the campaign by any chance was as clear as can be.

‘I think not,’ Messi had replied in 2022. ‘This was my last World Cup. I’ll see how things go, but not in principle, I won’t go to the next World Cup.’

It is understandable that few Argentinians will like to hear that age is finally catching up with their number one player, who is nicknamed ‘The Flea’ after years of watching him bring glory to their motherland through both group and personal achievements. Messi’s retirement looked very near after he broke the news that seemed to imply he would concentrate on club and continental matches till he hung the boot.

Ahead of the coming Olympic Games, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach gave the following statement:

‘It would be fantastic if [Messi] could be [at the Olympics]. The Games are an ambition for many football stars, such as [Kylian] Mbappe.

‘For Lionel Messi it would mean a chance to write history once again. He could be the only player in history to have two gold medals and a World Cup. I don’t want to interfere in the decisions of the coach, but it would be a great opportunity for Messi.

‘If he plays, Argentina would have a higher chance of winning the gold medal, it would be fantastic for football and the Olympic Games.’

It is not clear whether the player can be wooed to hunt for a gold medal at the Olympics, but it seems very unlikely he will agree due to duties owed to his American club. After failing to give Inter Miami the joy of staying in the MLS playoffs recently due to an injury, the now-recovered player will have to separate himself from too much activity so as to maintain the fitness he will need to drive the Florida-based outfit forward.

In all this, Argentina’s first team’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, disclosed no intentions of removing the 30-something-year-old player from the men’s team.

‘We have the door open for him, and if we see no, we’ll look for an alternative,’ said Scaloni. I’ hope he makes it to the next World Cup. I can see him there, but I think the first thing is to qualify.’

Lionel Messi might decide to concentrate fully on Inter Miami, playing little for his country until his retirement. But the decision might be hard to keep.

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