Following an outrageous claim regarding the 2023 Ballon d’Or made by a Lionel Messi family friend, the soccer community is still divided. Lionel Messi is widely considered the clear favorite to secure the 2023 Ballon d’Or Award, despite stiff competition from Erling Haaland, who went on a scoring spree, leading Manchester City to their inaugural treble victory. Nevertheless, the 36-year-old Lionel Messi also steered Argentina to a World Cup triumph in December, marking their first victory since 1986.
Lionel Messi, at 35 years old during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, was one of just three Argentina players to complete every minute of their campaign. Leaving Qatar with the Golden Ball and coming remarkably close to winning the Golden Boot, his age notwithstanding, it’s conceivable that his outstanding World Cup performance contributes significantly to his favoritism.
Lionel Messi reportedly to win his eighth Ballon d’Or award
According to a report, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi is set to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or award, edging out Erling Haaland due to his outstanding performance during the previous year.
Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar, has already won seven Golden Balls, more than any other player in history. He is poised to be honored as the best player on the planet once again, following his inspiration to lead his country to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022.
About a week ago, Alessandro Dossetti, Lionel Messi’s family friend, confirmed that the 7-time Ballon d’Or winner will once again claim the award for the 8th time.
Apart from winning it for the 8th time, the highest in history, Lionel Messi, who joined MLS team Inter Miami during the summer, is also on the verge of making another history by becoming the first Ballon d’Or recipient to play club football outside of Europe at the time of the award. This accomplishment would place him ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays in Saudi Arabia.
Does Lionel Messi deserve to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023?
If Lionel Messi secures the Ballon d’Or, it would mark his eighth triumph in the prestigious award, signifying that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi, has once again outperformed prominent talents like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to claim the coveted title of the world’s best football player.
The 36-year-old football player Lionel Messi emerges from a remarkable time that included his long-awaited World Cup victory. During the tournament, Messi delivered a stellar performance, scoring seven goals and providing three assists across seven games. His outstanding displays in Qatar earned him the coveted Golden Ball award, further solidifying his status as one of the world’s greatest footballers.
His extraordinary feat at the 2022 World Cup takes him significantly above his formidable contender, Erling Haaland, despite that the Norwegian has been in remarkable form since his move to the Etihad in the summer of 2022.
Erling Haaland secured the top scorer titles in both the Premier League, with 36 goals in 35 games, and the UEFA Champions League, with 12 goals in 11 appearances. This remarkable achievement has solidified his position as a strong contender for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, but he’s currently trailing in the polls. On the other hand, Kylian Mbappe falls short of these parameters, as the only thing he has next to Messi is his great World Cup performance.
