World Cup guarantees Messi’s 8th Ballon d’Or – 10/30/2023 – Sport

Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the eighth time. The traditional awards ceremony from France Football magazine, which names the best player in the world, fulfilled expectations and crowned the Argentine star once again.

The 36-year-old athlete had already been awarded in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021. These are three more trophies than those received by the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, acclaimed five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017).

It was not Messi’s performance at Paris Saint-Germain that earned him the Ballon d’Or for the 2022/23 season. He even won the French Championship, something almost protocol, but he had a relatively discreet participation before saying goodbye and moving to Inter Miami, in the United States.

The star, however, did a lot with the Argentina shirt. In December, in Qatar, he finally achieved greater glory in the World Cup. He scored seven goals, two of them in the final against France, and lifted the trophy he sought so much throughout his career.

In yet another speech with the France Football award in hand, Lionel made a point of remembering another Argentine world champion. Diego Armando Maradona, big name in the 1986 World Cup, was born on October 30th.

“I also want to mention Diego”, said the attacker, after the expected thanks to his family. “Today is his birthday, and this is the best place to wish him a happy birthday. Wherever you are, happy birthday! This is for you and all of Argentina.”

Then, Messi mentioned his Argentina teammates. He had already played in the World Cup in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, but it was only with his 2022 teammates that he achieved football’s biggest trophy.

“This is because of the work of the Argentina national team. Lautaro, Dibu, it’s a gift for our entire group, for the coaching staff. It was a historic, incredible feat. It was the title I was missing, it was wonderful,” he said.

“I also had a lot of defeats with the Argentina team, things weren’t going well. But, if you don’t insist on your dreams, like I did, things don’t happen. I insisted and I achieved it,” he added.

Almost all dreams in football have already been achieved. The end of his career is approaching, although he prefers not to set a date.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I want to keep enjoying it, getting as much out of it as I can, as long as I’m physically fit, competing. Football has ups and downs. I hope it lasts for a long time. It’s what I know how to do, what I like to do. “

And it continues to do very well. In the United States, Messi reached the record for football achievements at a professional level. He arrived in North America leading Inter Miami to their first title in their history and achieving their 42nd.

The once unimpressive Florida team made a name for itself. And the pink uniform with the number 10 became a worldwide craze, with a demand that the manufacturer Adidas, also a sponsor of the star, cannot keep up with.

Brazilian Vinicius Junior, from Real Madrid, came sixth in France Football’s best player election. The star of the Brazilian team received the Sócrates Award, aimed at social actions promoted by football players.

The Ballon d’Or also chose goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez as the best in this position this season. Brazilian Ederson, from Manchester City, was also up for the award.

Among women, the best player of the season by France Football was Spanish player Aitana Bonmatí, from Barcelona. She had been named Australia and New Zealand’s best player at the 2022 World Cup in Spain’s victorious campaign.

Messi is also competing for the best in the world by FIFA’s The Best

Messi is also present on the list of nominees for The Best award, from FIFA (International Football Federation). The Argentine is the biggest winner, with seven wins.

The biggest difference between the FIFA The Best award and the Ballon d’Or is the voting method. The FIFA award includes journalists, former players, national team captains and coaches and the general public. In the case of the Ballon d’Or, the election takes place through a group of specialized journalists.

For almost 20 years, football’s highest governing body tried to compete with the prestige of the award from the traditional French magazine, which has chosen the best in the world since 1956.

In 2009, the two honors were unified to launch the FIFA Ballon d’Or award, won in its first edition also by Messi, in 2010.

The partnership lasted six seasons and was monopolized by the Argentine star, four times winner (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015) and the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, two times winner (2013 and 2014).

SEE ALL THE BALLON D’OR WINNERS

1956 Stanley Matthews (ENG)
1957 Alfredo Di Stéfano (ESP-ARG)
1958 Raymond Kopa (FRA)
1959 Alfredo Di Stéfano (ESP-ARG)
1960 Luis Suarez (ESP)
1961 Omar Sivori (ITA)
1962 Josef Masopust (TCH)
1963 Lev Yashin (URS)
1964 Denis Law (SLD)
1965 Eusébio (POR)
1966 Bobby Charlton (ENG)
1967 Flórián Albert (HUN)
1968 George Best (IRL)
1969 Gianni Rivera (ITA)
1970 Gerd Müller (ALE)
1971 Johan Cruijff (HOL)
1972 Franz Beckenbauer (ALE)
1973 Johan Cruijff (HOL)
1974 Johan Cruijff (HOL)
1975 Oleg Blokhin (URS)
1976 Franz Beckenbauer (ALE)
1977 Allan Simonsen (DIN)
1978 Kevin Keegan (ENG)
1979 Kevin Keegan (ENG)
1980 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (ALE)
1981 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (ALE)
1982 Paolo Rossi (ITA)
1983 Michel Platini (FRA)
1984 Michel Platini (FRA)
1985 Michel Platini (FRA)
1986 Igor Belanov (URS)
1987 Ruud Gullit (HOL)
1988 Marco van Basten (HOL)
1989 Marco van Basten (HOL)
1990 Lothar Matthäus (ALE)
1991 Jean-Pierre Papin (FRA)
1992 Marco van Basten (HOL)
1993 Roberto Baggio (ITA)
1994 Hristo Stoichkov (BUL)
1995 George Weah (LBR)
1996 Matthias Sammer (ALE)
1997 Ronaldo (BRA)
1998 Zinédine Zidane (FRA)
1999 Rivaldo (BRA)
2000 Luís Figo (POR)
2001 Michael Owen (ENG)
2002 Ronaldo (BRA)
2003 Pavel Nedvěd (TCH)
2004 Andriy Shevchenko (UCR)
2005 Ronaldinho (BRA)
2006 Fabio Cannavaro (ITA)
2007 Kaká (BRA)
2008 Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)
2009 Lionel Messi (ARG)
2010 Lionel Messi (ARG)*
2011 Lionel Messi (ARG)*
2012 Lionel Messi (ARG)*
2013 Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)*
2014 Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)*
2015 Lionel Messi (ARG)*
2016 Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)
2017 Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)
2018 Luka Modrić (CRO)
2019 Lionel Messi (ARG)
2020 Award was not awarded due to the Covid-19 pandemic
2021 Lionel Messi (ARG)
2022 Karim Benzema (FRA)
2023 Lionel Messi (ARG)

*Between 2010 and 2015, the award was awarded in partnership with FIFA