By Website writer: Lionel Messi officially received the Alfredo Di Stéfano Trophy and the Pichichi Trophy at Diario MARCA’s awards ceremonies today, which commemorated the 2018-19 La Liga season. It marks his seventh Di Stéfano Trophy and sixth Pichichi Trophy wins. It’s the third time in a row he wins both awards.
The Di Stéfano Trophy is given to the league’s best player each year, and Messi is far and away the player who has received it the most times. Cristiano Ronaldo has four wins.
Meanwhile, the Pichichi trophy is given to the league’s top scorer. Messi has the most wins, tied with Telmo Zarra, who played mainly for Athletic Bilbao in the 40s and 50s.
The Argentine attacker winning the Di Stéfano Trophy is hardly surprising, given that he had already won the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s The Best award this year, both given to the world’s best player.
And the Pichichi Trophy win was merely a formality having successfully topped the ranking en route to winning the European Golden Shoe last season.
Messi was not present at the gala but spoke on video accepting the award.
“I will try to keep winning things, to keep growing. It’s a trophy that fills me with pride, to get to be the top scorer of this league, what it signifies. I’m happy to win it again,” he said.
José Bordalás of Getafe and Diego Martínez of Granada shared the best manager award, while Iñaki Williams of Athletic won the Golden Goal award for the best goal of the season. It was this goal against Sevilla: Iago Aspas won the Zarra Trophy for most goals by a Spanish player, while Jan Oblak won the Zamora Trophy for the goalkeeper with the best goals-against average in the league.
Aspas has won it for the third time running, while Oblak has won it for the fourth in a row. That means for the third year in a row, the same three players have won the Zarra, Zamora, Di Stéfano, and Pichichi Trophies.
“I spoke with them about so many years in a row with us three being awarded, it’s a pleasure to be alongside them,” Messi said.
“I congratulate them too, because they are two great sportsmen and two great people,” he added.
We will keep you posted
