'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgP/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMGtlT//xAAeEAACAQQDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgQDBRIhABEigf/aAAgBAQABPwC23R5NygySnsVQ/pi213xL5PqIrtIq5MOzi2I+AaHP/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL/2gAIAQIBAT8Ah//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIf/aAAgBAwEBPwBqf//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lionel Messi clinched his eighth Ballon d'Or, leaving Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in his wake at the 2023 award ceremony in Paris on Monday, October 30. Now, the podium rankings have been revealed, with the Manchester City striker sitting in second place, and his Paris Saint-Germain counterpart finishing third.
Haaland's goal-scoring prowess reached mythical proportions last season, netting 52 goals across all competitions. His goals helped propel Manchester City to a continental treble, as they remarkable secured the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. He also shattered the Premier League's single-season scoring record with 36 goals.
The individual accolades followed, from PFA Player of the Year to the Premier League's Player of the Season, as Haaland swept the awards circuit like a hurricane. Unsurprisingly, he found a place on the Ballon d'Or podium, and while there was some hope he might win the award, Lionel Messi's World Cup triumph made the difference.
Kylian Mbappe, the third man on the Ballon d'Or podium, was no slouch either. The French dynamo bagged the Ligue 1 Golden Boot with a staggering 29 goals and was instrumental in PSG's Ligue 1 triumph. Yet, it was his World Cup exploits that nearly eclipsed the rest.
Channeling Geoff Hurst, Mbappe netted a historic hat-trick in the tournament's final - a feat last achieved in 1966. Despite this, France fell short, with Argentina winning the coveted trophy.
Lionel Messi beats Haaland and Mbappe to the Ballon d'Or
The Argentinian maestro's Ballon d'Or win comes just a year after being snubbed from the nomination list. With Messi's closest rival Cristiano Ronaldo lagging behind with five trophies, the gap has continued to widen between the duo.
Lionel Messi's exploits with Argentina serve as the crown jewel of his triumph. He led his nation to the 2022 World Cup title, a trophy that had tauntingly dodged him throughout his two-decade career. He finally laid claim to football's grandest prize, orchestrating Argentina's road to glory, and putting to bed years of international heartbreak in his fifth campaign.
Lionel Messi's club career over the past year was a little different. Despite contributing to the PSG's 11th Ligue 1 championship, their Champions League aspirations were squashed in the round of 16 for a second successive season.
However, he signed as a free agent with Inter Miami this summer, where he quickly became a catalyst for their first-ever trophy, winning the Leagues Cup.
