'It can never be wrong' - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta gives verdict on Lionel Messi clinching…

WHAT HAPPENED? The Spanish coach said that winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina at the age of 36 made Messi the standout candidate to win the Ballon d'Or. He also hailed the Argentine's consistency and commitment towards the game at the twilight of his career.

WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to reporters, Arteta said: "When you talk about Messi it can never be wrong. What he’s done, he won the World Cup, at his age, it was the pinnacle of his career. It’s just incredible, the consistency that he’s shown, the level that he’s put football into."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The 36-year-old managed to beat off competition from Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland and his former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe to clinch his record eighth Golden Ball in Paris on Monday.