As previously reported by the international press, Lionel Messi surpassed Erling Haaland to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
This is the 8th Ballon d'Or that the Argentia superstar has won in his career after 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021 - an unprecedented record. In addition, Messi also became the first in history to win the Ballon d'Or as a player of 3 different clubs including Barca, PSG and Inter Miami.
It can be said that Messi is completely worthy of this noble individual title after winning the 2022 World Cup with the Argentina team. At the tournament in Qatar, the 36-year-old striker was the brightest star, carrying the Albiceleste through each difficult challenge to win the prestigious gold cup that every player dreams of.
At the 2022 World Cup, Messi scored 7 goals, second only to France's top scorer Kylian Mbappe (8). In addition, Messi is also the first player in World Cup history to score in the group stage, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. He also ranked first in the tournament in terms of shots (32), shots on target (18), chances created from open play (17) and fouls (22).
La Pulga himself also won the Best Player award - which further shows how extraordinary he is at the most prestigious playground of the king sport. Once again, Messi is the leader of Argentina at the 2022 World Cup instead of just "sitting back and enjoying the golden bowl".
At club level, Messi scored 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions for PSG in the 2022/23 season, winning Ligue 1 with the team. This is actually not a very outstanding achievement for Messi, but reaching the top of the world with the Argentina team with an excellent individual performance has covered everything, enough for him to overshadow all opponents.
Speaking of Messi's opponent, it's a pity for Haaland that he only won the Silver Ball despite having won the great "treble" with Man City including the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
Haaland himself scored 52 goals in 53 appearances on all fronts for Man City last season, breaking a series of records as well as winning many prestigious individual titles such as the European Golden Boot, Champions League Top Scorer, European Player of the Year, PFA Player of the Season, FWA...
Haaland has won so much glory in a season where he has been at his peak, but unfortunately, Messi has won the World Cup with a "devil cries god" performance. The controversy will continue, but the final result cannot be changed.
The 8th Ballon d'Or is not only a worthy reward for what Messi showed last season, but also an acknowledgement by prestigious journalists around the world that La Pulga is the greatest player in football history.
In other categories, the 2023 Women's Ballon d'Or belongs to Barca midfielder Aitana Bonmati. The 25-year-old star helped the Barca women's team win the "treble" of Liga F, the Women's Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup. In addition, at the national team level, Bonmati helped the Spanish women's team win the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham won the Best Young Player award, also known as the Kopa Trophy. This is considered a stepping stone for the player to become the owner of the Golden Ball in the near future. This season, Bellingham is playing explosively for Real Madrid with 13 goals in 13 matches in all competitions.
Finally, in the Yashin Award - the award for the best goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa and Argentina was honored. This is a worthy reward for Martinez, because he was the backbone that helped Albiceleste to the top of the 2022 World Cup, including the historic save from Kolo Muani in injury time in the final. Messi is extraordinary, but Argentina would not have been able to lift the gold cup without Martinez's hands.
Award categories awarded