Lionel Messi Wins 2023 Ballon d'Or Award To Move Three Clear Of Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi received the eighth Ballon d'Or trophy of his career at Monday's awards ceremony in Paris.

It was presented to the 36-year-old Argentina star by Inter Miami president and former England captain David Beckham.

Messi - who had previously won the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021 - now has three more Ballon d'Or titles than any other player in soccer history.

Just 10 men have won the Ballon d'Or more than once, while five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player other than Messi to have won it more than three times.

Messi attended Monday's ceremony with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their three children. Messi's Miami bodyguard, Yassine Cheuko, also made the trip to France.

Lionel Messi is now an EIGHT-time Ballon d'Or winner

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Messi's main rival for the 2023 prize was Erling Haaland, who came second following a vote among 100 journalists - one from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations.

Those journalists were asked to base their decision on the players' performances and achievements between August 1 in 2022 and July 31 in 2023.

Haaland scored 55 goals in 55 games for Manchester City and Norway between those dates, firing his club to glory in the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.

Messi's club campaign was less spectacular than Haaland's. He netted 21 goals in 41 games for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain during the 2022/23 campaign.

Erling Haaland came second behind Messi in the 2023 men's Ballon d'Or vote

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But Messi's trump card was his stunning form at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar - a tournament for which Haaland's Norway did not qualify.

Messi scored seven goals and provided three assists at Qatar 2022 as he led Argentina to a first World Cup title since 1978.

Argentina captain Messi left PSG in June and then joined Inter Miami on a free transfer in July.

He is therefore the first player based in the USA ever to win a Ballon d'Or - although his 2023 award was earned by his performances before he moved to Miami.

Kylian Mbappe came third in the 2023 vote, ahead of Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri in fourth and fifth respectively.

READ MORE: Ballon d'Or 2023 Final Rankings Confirmed: Kylian Mbappe Third, Jude Bellingham 18th

Messi topped the vote thanks largely to his performances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

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