The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable and unique 2022-23 campaign, the winner of the 2023 Golden Ball has been announced: Lionel Messi.
The Argentina and Inter Miami forward picked up his eighth Ballon d'Or at a lavish ceremony in Paris on Monday, October 30 after a 2022-23 season that saw him finally get his hands on the trophy that had alluded him throughout his glittering career: The World Cup.
Messi won the Golden Ball at Qatar 2022 as the tournament's best player, and having also helped Paris Saint-Germain win another Ligue 1 title over the course of the campaign, he was able to beat out competition from the likes of Erling Haaland and former team-mate Kylian Mbappe for the award.
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That trio were up at the very top of the rankings for 2023, but how did the rest of the 30-man shortlist shake out when all the votes were counted? Check out the official rankings below:
