…He became the first MLS-based player to win Ballon d’Or
The Inter Miami player Lionel Messi on Monday won the 2023 Ballon d’Or award.
The Inter Miami CF and Argentina captain, Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or for a record eighth time.
Former Manchester United player and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham handed his prize-signing Messi the award in Paris.
At 36 years and four months old, Messi became the second oldest player to ever win the Ballon d’Or, replacing last year’s winner Karim Benzema. Only the inaugural winner, Stanley Matthews in 1956, was older when he won it aged 41.
Messi’s first six Ballons d’Or were won while he played for Barcelona, where he is the club’s record goalscorer and appearance holder, while he won it for a seventh time shortly after joining PSG in 2021 following Copa America’s success with Argentina.
The Argentina captain becomes the first MLS-based player to claim the coveted prize, although the triumph comes largely on the back of his exploits with his country in Qatar.
However, Lionel Messi during his acceptance speech wished the legendary Argentina countryman, Diego Maradona happy birthday. The 1986 World Cup winner, who died on Nov. 22, 2020, would have been 63 on Monday.
He said “My last mention is for Diego, today is his birthday. So I would like to remember him from here, surrounded by the best players, coaches and people who love football like he did.
“Wherever you are, Diego, happy birthday. This goes also to you.”
The 36-year-old broke his record and reset it in Paris 2023 as no player had won the Ballon d’Or more than him, who first won it in 2009 and then again in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and also won it in 2023.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times, while Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten are all three-time winners.
Messi scored 21 goals in 41 appearances last season as Paris Saint-Germain retained the Ligue 1 title before moving to Inter Miami earlier this year.
Since moving to the U.S., he has scored 11 goals in 14 games for Miami, helping the franchise win its first-ever piece of silverware, the Leagues Cup.
However, he missed several matches through injury at the end of the regular MLS season as Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s side came up short in their late push for a playoff spot.
It is Messi’s performances at the World Cup at the end of 2022 which have earned him an eighth Ballon d’Or, though, as Argentina ended a 36-year wait to be crowned world champions for the third time. I6
Haaland, who scored 52 goals last season as City won the Treble in 2022-23, finished second in the voting and won the Gerd Muller Trophy given to the best striker of the year.