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Football legend Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or award for record eighth time

Aitana Bonmati, the Spanish footballer representing Barcelona and the winner of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup got the Women's Ballon d'Or award, which was presented by Serbian tennis legend Djokovic

Ballon d'Or winner 2023: Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati

Ballon d'Or winner 2023: Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati

BS Web Team New Delhi
Legendary Argentina footballer Lionel Messi won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award for the record eighth time. 

With this, Messi became the first player from Major League Soccer (MLS) to win the prestigious award. He represents the club Inter Miami. Messi was presented with the award by none other than English football icon David Beckham, the owner of Inter Miami.

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He previously won the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021.

Footballers who won most numbers of Ballon d'Or awards

Rank Player No. of Ballon d'Or Years won
1 Lionel Messi 8 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023
2 Cristiano Ronaldo 5 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
3 Michel Platini 3 1983, 1984, 1985
3 Johan Cruyff 3 1971, 1973, 1974
3 Marco van Basten 3 1988, 1989, 1992
5 Franz Beckenbauer 2 1972, 1976
5 Ronaldo 2 1997, 2002
5 Alfredo di Stefano 2 1957, 1959
5 Kevin Keegan 2 1978, 1979
5 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 2 1980, 1981
 

The young boy from Santa Fe who made his first appearance in 2004 has enjoyed a career that can be deemed nothing short of a fairytale.

Messi's career which lasted for almost 30 years saw him heartbroken in 2014 after missing out on the World Cup and eight years later channelling the inner Maradona and redeeming himself by bringing the most prized possession - the World Cup trophy back to his homeland, Argentina.

His seven goals in the tournament raised a glimmer of hope in the hearts of each of his fans who dreamed of lifting him the World Cup trophy after Argentina lost unexpectedly to Saudi Arabia.

 

Messi who conquered France in the World Cup final later went on to become Ligue 1's leading assist provider for French Giants Paris Saint Germain.

The Argentinian maestro won the Laureus Award for best male athlete of 2022 ahead of class athletes such as Rafael Nadal, Kylian Mbappe and Stephen Curry.

It was the second time Messi, won a Laureus - considered a sports Oscar - after securing it for the first time in 2020, an award he then shared with British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

Messi was also honoured as the Best Men's in February during the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony which once again showcased his on-field prowess.

Erling Haaland, Manchester City's star striker who won a treble with the club in the 2022-23 season and French and Paris Saint Germain (PSG) star Kylian Mbappe were placed second and third respectively.

Aitana Bonmati, the Spanish footballer representing FC Barcelona and the winner of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup got the Women's Ballon d'Or award, which was presented by Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic. She was also the best player in the aforementioned tournament.

BALLON d'OR WOMEN
2023 (Ballon d'Or Féminin) Aitana Bonmati (Spain)
2022 (Ballon d'Or Féminin) Alexia Putellas (Spain)
2021 (Ballon d'Or Féminin) Alexia Putellas (Spain)
2020 (Ballon d'Or Féminin) Not awarded due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
2019 (Ballon d'Or Féminin) Megan Rapinoe (United States)
2018 (Ballon d'Or Féminin) Ada Hegerberg (Norway)

Manchester City won the title of 'Club of the Year'. In the season 2022-23, the club won a treble, i.e. the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. They also captured the UEFA Super Cup this year.

Star Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was awarded the 'Gerd Muller Trophy' for the Best Striker of the Year. Haaland secured a treble of Championship titles with Manchester City in the 2022-23 season, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.

 

Haaland went on a monumental goal-scoring spree, with a total of 56 goals in a single season, which was also his debut season with City. He broke the record for most goals by a Premier League player across all competitions in a season.

The 'Yachine Trophy' for the Goalkeeper of the Year went to Aston Villa FC and Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2022 winning star Emiliano Martinez.

Jude Bellingham, the 20-year-old English midfielder currently playing for Spanish giants Real Madrid, was given the 'Kopa Trophy' for the best U21 player. He previously played for German giants Borussia Dortmund.

Vinicius Junior, the Brazillian winger representing Real Madrid, was given the 'Socrates Award' for founding Instituto Vini Jr for for education of young Brazillians through sports and technology.

FC Barcelona was given the women's 'Club of the Year' award.

Full list of Ballon d'Or winners

Year Winner
BALLON d'OR MEN
2023 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2022 Karim Benzema (France)
2021 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2020 Not awarded due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2018 Luka Modric (Croatia)
2017 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2016 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2015 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2014 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2013 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2012 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2011 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2009 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2008 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2007 Kaká (Brazil)
2006 Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2005 Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2004 Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2003 Pavel Nedvěd (Czechia)
2002 Ronaldo (Brazil)
2001 Michael Owen (England)
2000 Luís Figo (Portugal)
1999 Rivaldo (Brazil)
1998 Zinedine Zidane (France)
1997 Ronaldo (Brazil)
1996 Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1995 George Weah (Liberia)
1994 Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1993 Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1992 Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1991 Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1990 Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
1989 Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1988 Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1987 Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1986 Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)
1985 Michel Platini (France)
1984 Michel Platini (France)
1983 Michel Platini (France)
1982 Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1981 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1980 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1979 Kevin Keegan (England)
1978 Kevin Keegan (England)
1977 Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1976 Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1975 Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)
1974 Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1973 Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1972 Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1971 Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1970 Gerd Müller (West Germany)
1969 Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1968 George Best (Northern Ireland)
1967 Flórián Albert (Hungary)
1966 Bobby Charlton (England)
1965 Eusébio (Portugal)
1964 Denis Law (Scotland)
1963 Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1962 Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
1961 Omar Sívori (Italy)
1960 Luis Suárez (Spain)
1959 Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1958 Raymond Kopa (France)
1957 Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1956 Stanley Matthews (England)

(With ANI inputs)

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First Published: Oct 31 2023 | 10:22 AM IST

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