Lionel Messi was awarded the 2023 Ballon d’Or in a ceremony that took place in Paris on Monday.
Lionel Messi makes history with most Ballon d’Or wins
Argentinian football star Lionel Messi secured his eighth Ballon d’Or title, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.
The ceremony, held in Paris, saw Messi outclass other nominees including Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and his former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammate, Kylian Mbappe.
This comes after an exceptional year for Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup victory in 2022 and had a standout season with PSG.
Last year, Messi captained Argentina to win the World Cup in Qatar, ending a 36-year drought for the team. He played a pivotal role in a dramatic final against France, scoring twice in a match that ended 3-3 after extra time. He also scored in the penalty shootout and was named the player of the match.
During his time with PSG in the 2022/23 season, Messi featured in 41 matches, scored 21 goals, and provided 20 assists.
This contribution was instrumental in PSG winning the league title that season. In the World Cup, Messi’s prowess was also evident. He scored twice in the group stage and found the net in each knockout round, tallying goals against Australia, the Netherlands, and Croatia. His performance in the tournament earned him the Golden Ball award.
In his acceptance speech, Messi expressed gratitude, saying,
“Thank you very much, to share this with my national team-mates for what we were able to achieve with the national team. The entire group, the coaching staff, everyone involved. I’m delighted to be here once more to enjoy this moment one more time.”
He also paid tribute to the late Diego Maradona, stating, “To finish, I want to say happy birthday to Diego Maradona.”
After his PSG contract expired this summer, Messi transitioned to Inter Miami in the MLS. Notably, he is one of the three players nominated for the Ballon d’Or who are not currently playing in Europe.