Lionel Messi is set to receive his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or next week - but it seems as if the legendary forward isn't worried too much about the award.

After years of battling his rival Cristiano Ronaldo for football's most prestigious individual accolade, the 36-year-old Argentine forward's aspirations have evolved past individual prizes, especially after leading Argentina to football's biggest team award.

"I have said it many times, the Ballon d'Or is very important due to the recognition at the individual level, but I never gave it importance, between quotes, the most important thing for me was always the awards at the group level," Messi said previously. "I was lucky to have achieved everything in my career and after the World Cup, I'm thinking about that award much less, my biggest award was that and I'm disguising my moment.

"If it arrives, good, and if not, nothing happens. I was lucky to achieve all my goals in my career and now I have new goals with this club."