Lionel Messi wins the 2023 Ballon d’Or – for the record 8th time

October 31, 2023 Chimaobi Agwu

Lionel Messi, the captain of the Argentine national team this evening in faraway Paris, France, beat all other contestants, including Erling Haaland of Manchester City to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or.

Messi, 36, becomes the first player from the Major League Soccer (MLS) to win the coveted award, but his success is primarily due to his exploits in Qatar with his national team. David Beckham, a co-owner of Inter Miami and a former Manchester United player, presented Messi with the accolade in Paris.

Messi’s spectacular performances during his 21-year Barcelona career won him seven Ballons d’Or in addition to numerous La Liga and Champions League titles. However, because of his World Cup struggles, some people continued to doubt Messi’s eligibility for the unofficial title of greatest player of all time.

Any remaining misgivings were completely dispelled throughout the 2022 competition when Messi guided his nation to victory in the Middle East. Argentina’s victory was largely attributed to the outstanding team led by manager Lionel Scaloni, which had players such as Angel Di Maria, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Cristian Romero, and the colorful goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

But they were motivated by Messi. He consistently provided the Albiceleste with what they needed to make a breakthrough or defeat an opponent, and at trying times, he kept the club together.

Watching him fully express his creative abilities was simply breathtaking, and when it was all over, it was a pleasure to witness him let his guard down and bask in the enormity of his greatest accomplishment. By finishing football, Messi earned his sixth Ballon d’Or.
Haaland, who led City to victory in the 2022–2023 Treble with 52 goals, came in second in the poll and took home the Gerd Muller Trophy, which is awarded to the finest striker of the year.

“I never would have imagined pursuing a job like mine. After receiving his prize, Messi said, “Everything that I’ve accomplished.” “The luck I’ve had to play for the greatest team in history and the greatest squad in the world. Winning these unique prizes is a pleasant feeling.

It is incredible to have won both the Copa America and the World Cup. Each Ballon d’Or winner is unique for a different reason.

Aitana Bonmatí, a midfielder for Barcelona and Spain, won the Ballon d’Or Féminin before Messi did, capping an incredible year for both her club and her country. Before guiding Spain to World Cup victory in the summer, she assisted Barça in winning Liga F and the Champions League the previous season.

Other honors presented on Monday were Jude Bellingham, a midfielder for Real Madrid and England, winning the Kopa Trophy as the greatest player under the age of twenty-one, and Emiliano Martinez, Messi’s teammate from Argentina, winning the Yashin Trophy for best goalie.

Messi made it a point to wish Diego Maradona, his compatriot from Argentina, a happy birthday during his victory speech. On Monday, the 1986 World Cup winner, who passed away on November 22, 2020, would have turned 63.

“I want to end by mentioning Diego [Maradona],” stated Messi. It’s his birthday today. Thus, I would like to remember him from this location, surrounded by the greatest coaches, players, and football enthusiasts.

“Happy birthday, Diego, wherever you may be. You too deserve this.” No player had won the Ballon d’Or more than Messi, who did it in 2009 and then again in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021, even before Monday’s presentation in Paris.

Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Michel Platini, and Cristiano Ronaldo have each won it three times, with Ronaldo having won it five times. Prior to joining Inter Miami earlier this year, Messi scored 21 goals in 41 games as Paris Saint-Germain won the Ligue 1 championship the previous season. He has 11 goals in 14 games for Miami since coming to the United States, and he helped the team win its first-ever trophy, the Leagues Cup.

He did, however, miss a number of games due to injury during the close of the regular MLS season, when Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s team failed in their last-ditch attempt to secure a playoff berth.

Messi’s World Cup exploits at the end of 2022, however, are what secured him his eighth Ballon d’Or as Argentina won the world championship for the third time in 36 years.

Argentina’s victory in Qatar was greatly aided by Messi, who led the team with seven goals and three assists while winning Player of the Tournament. As Lionel Scaloni’s squad prevailed in one of the most famous showpieces in the competition’s history, he scored twice in the championship game and once more in the penalty shootout against France.

Lionel Messi wins the 2023 Ballon D’Or award for the record 8th time

After Argentina had lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and had failed in the previous four World Cups, many believed it to be his final chance to win the largest trophy in football.

He replaces last year’s winner Karim Benzema to become the second-oldest player to win the Ballon d’Or at the age of 36 years and four months. The only champion who was older when he won it was Stanley Matthews in 1956, who was 41 years old.

Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the seventh time soon after joining PSG in 2021 after Argentina’s Copa America victory. Messi’s first six Ballons d’Or were earned while he was a player for Barcelona, where he holds the club records for goals scored and appearances.