Lionel Messi has revealed that winning another Ballon d’Or is no longer important to him.

The Argentine superstar has won the prestigious honour for a record seven times, is again one of the prime contenders to win it this year after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking to Titan Sports in China, as cited by Goal.com, Messi played down the importance of individual awards.

He said: “Does the Ballon d’Or matter to me? No, it’s no longer important to me.

“I’ve always said, the individual prizes are not what matters to me, but the collective ones are the most important.

“The most important prize at the moment is the World Cup, the greatest prize for me.”

Messi, who recently joined MLS side Inter Miami, is currently in China with the Argentina team for their friendly match against Australia on Thursday.

Kick-off is at 2 pm CAT.