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Stop me if you've read this before: Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or. For the eighth time in his illustrious career, the Argentine legend was named the best football player in the world, topping the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe for the top individual football award.
Messi enjoyed another stellar season in 2022-23, his 19th as a professional first-team player, achieving new heights on the sport's grandest of stages. The then 35-year-old led Argentina to World Cup glory last winter, winning his second Golden Ball as the tournament's best player–the first in history to do so.
Messi also broke the record for most World Cup games played with his 26th being the 2022 final. He became the third player in history to win multiple Ballon d'Or trophies and a World Cup title, joining Franz Beckenbauer and Ronaldo.
At the club level, Messi scored 21 goals and had 20 assists in 41 games in all competitions. He helped Paris Saint-Germain win its second consecutive Ligue 1 title, though the French giants failed to make it past the Round of 16 in the Champions League and the Coupe de France.
He played his final game for PSG on June 3 before making a move to Inter Miami in the United States. Though it doesn’t necessarily count toward his Ballon d'Or resume since it was done outside of Europe, Messi gave one last show to voters before the July 31 cut-off by scoring three goals and adding an assist in his first two games with Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi continues to defy the odds and further prove why he is one of the greatest football players of all time. It's hard to argue against him not being No. 1 after his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or win.
