Twitter explodes as Lionel Messi wins record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Argentina forward Lionel Messi has won a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or award. The Argentine beat Robert Lewandowski to the prestigious individual honor and was rewarded for a remarkable campaign with club and country.

Notably, Lionel Messi won the Copa America, his first major title with Argentina, back in July. It came at the end of an impressive individual season with Barcelona, where he netted 38 goals and registered 14 assists in all competitions.

Courtesy of his performances, Lionel Messi was able to edge Lewandowski in the race for the 2021 Ballon d'Or. The 34-year-old became the first ever PSG player to win the Ballon d'Or after the achievement. Lionel Messi was present at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris alongside his family and hailed the occasion.

Lewandowski finished second, while the likes of Jorginho, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante made up the rest of the top five in the race for the Ballon d'Or. Notably, Lionel Messi's eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo finished outside the top five after being ranked sixth in the Ballon d'Or standings.

The record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or win has now propelled Lionel Messi to unparalleled heights. The Argentine has aged like a fine wine and is showing no signs of slowing down. Considering he has now finally ended his wait for a major trophy with Argentina, Lionel Messi will have his sights set firmly on the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Should he enjoy another remarkable campaign for club and country this season, it wouldn't be a surprise to witness him add to hs record Ballon d'Or triumphs.

Several other awards were also handed out at the Ballon d'Or ceremony

In addition to the men's Ballon d'Or, as many as five other awards were also handed out at in Paris. Lewandowski was adjudged 'Best striker of the year', while Chelsea won 'Club of the year' - two newly established awards. Meanwhile, the women's Ballon d'Or award was won by Alexia Putellas of Barcelona.

Pedri and Gianluigi Donnarumma were the recipients of the Kopa and Yachine Trophies respectively.

Lionel Messi was handed the Ballon d'Or award by former team-mate and close friend Luis Suarez. The diminutive forward also stated a desire to keep pushing himself and winning more accolades in the future.

In the wake of Lionel Messi winning the 2021 Ballon d'Or, several fans from across the globe sent Twitter into a frenzy with their reactions. On that note, here are the best tweets that surfaced after the announcement: