OFFICIAL: 2023 Ballon d'Or winner confirmed!
After FIFA announced the nominees for this year's award in September, the wait has finally come to an end following the official announcement of the best player in the world for the period from August 2022 to July 2023. Up against the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, it was confirmed at a glitzy awards gala at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris tonight that Lionel Messi is this year's recipient of arguably the most revered individual award in football.
Before departing the French club at the end of last season, he helped them to their 11th league title, which cemented their position as the most successful team in the history of the French top flight. It was also Les Parisiens' fifth league triumph in six seasons as he scored 21 goals and got 20 assists in 41 games across all competitions.
Wearing the captain's armband as Argentina were crowned champions of the world, Messi's seven goals and three assists played a pivotal role as the South American nation claimed its first world title since 1986, when the side was captained by a 25-year-old Diego Maradona. Another award up for grabs was the Ballon d'Or Feminin, also known as the Women's Ballon d'Or, which recognises the best female player to have emerged from the previous season and was first introduced in 2018.