Ballon d’Or 2023: Full list of winners including Messi, Argentina

Inter Miami football star and Argentina International, Lionel Messi, has now bagged the Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time, making him the player with the highest record of the prestigious football award.

Messi won the award this year ahead of Erling Haaland from EPL club Manchester City and Kylian Mbappe from French Ligue 1’s Paris Saint Germain.

The Argentine first won the award in 2009 and then in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021.

Messi’s win is mostly attributed to his exploits with Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they defeated France in the final to emerge winner.

Haaland, who scored 52 goals last season as Man City won the treble in the 2022/2023 campaign, came second in the voting and won the Gerd Muller Trophy given to the best striker of the year.

Messi’s Argentina team-mate, Emiliano Martinez, won the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper.

Real Madrid midfielder, Jude Bellingham, won the Kopa Trophy as the world’s best U-21 footballer.