Lionel Messi wins a record eighth Ballon d’Or. Other Winners

Lionel Messi has been named the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner, making him the first player to win the honor a record eight times.

Lionel Messi was declared Ballon d’Or winner ahead of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland on Monday, October 30, 2023, at the 2,500-capacity Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.

Lionel Messi and his family attend the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Prior to this year’s edition, the 36-year-old Argentine football legend had won the accolade a record seven times, two more than his competitor, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Following his triumph in the 2023 Ballon d’Or, Messi has now won the award three times more than 38-year-old Ronaldo, who presently plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Apart from being the only player to win the Ballon d’Or an unprecedented eight times, Lionel Messi has also become the only player to win the Ballon d’Or outside of Europe, as he presently plays for Inter Miami in the United States.

Messi is also the first player to win the Ballon d’Or in three different countries, having won it six times in Spain while playing for FC Barcelona, once in France when playing for PSG, and once in the United States while playing for Inter Miami.

Lionel Messi won the 2023 edition of the award ahead of Haaland, who won the treble with Manchester City last season – Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions – primarily because the football icon assisted Argentina in winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he was named the tournament’s best player.

Lionel Messi and his family attend the Ballon d’Or 2023 in Paris, France.

Apart from that, Messi scored 21 goals and assisted 20 times in 41 games for PSG last season, helping the club win the French Super Cup and the French Ligue 1 title before joining Inter Miami during the summer transfer window.

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham presented Messi with the 2023 Ballon d’Or, succeeding Karim Benzema of France and Al-Ittihad, who won the award in 2022.

See the winners of the 2023 Ballon d’Or in other categories.

Aitana Bonmati was awarded the Women’s Ballon d’Or in 2023.

1. Jude Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy in 2023.
2. Vinicius Junior won the Socrates Award in 2023.
3. Emiliano Martinez won the Yachine Trophy in 2023.
4. FC Barcelona Femeni was named women’s club of the year in 2023.
5. Erling Haaland received the Gerd Muller Award in 2023.
6. Manchester City was named men’s club of the year in 2023.

Aitana Bonmati won the Women’s Ballon d’Or in 2023.