The 67th Ballon d’Or awards ceremony took place in Paris. 36 year old Lionel Messi was a favorite from the start. Last season, the Argentine scored 39 goals, won the French Championship with PSG and won the World Cup in Qatar with the Argentine national team. Messi has already won seven Ballon d’Or awards: the Argentine previously won the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021. In 2023, another trophy was added to Leo’s shelf. 14 years have passed and Messi is still the best player.
After receiving the award, Messi remembered Diego Maradona: “Today is his birthday. And there is no better place to remember him. There are so many football players here, he would love it. Wherever you are, happy birthday Diego. This is for you too, I share it with you“Leo said from the stage.
Best Forward
In second place on the list of favorites was the Manchester City forward — a Norwegian Erling Holland. The striker scored 56 goals and won the Champions League, Championship and FA Cup. According to UEFA, Haaland was recognized as the best player of 2022/23. However, the Norwegian received “only a consolation prize” in the form of the Gerd Müller Award — it is awarded to the most productive striker of the year.
Best Young Player
England midfielder named 2023 Young Player of the Year Jude Bellingham. The football player is only 20 years old; in a few months he became the leading player of Real Madrid.
Best goalkeeper
The reward is gone Emiliano Martinez. Largely thanks to the save from Kolo-Muani’s strike and penalty in the World Cup final. Martinez already has the Golden Glove in his arsenal, and now the Lev Yashin Award. The Soviet goalkeeper remains the only goalkeeper in history who managed to win the Golden Ball.
Best team
Took the prize “Manchester city”: The club achieved a Golden Hat-Trick by winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in 2023. Guardiola’s team became the first English club since 1999 to achieve the treble.
Just a few weeks before the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Manchester City suffered their first defeat of the season. The club lost to Arsenal for the first time in 7 years.
Best player
Argentina national football player Lionel Messi won the eighth trophy in his career. No surprises: even Messi’s name was voiced from the stage by David Beckham, the owner of Inter Miami, for which Leo now plays. This is probably the last Ballon d’Or for the 36-year-old. But if not, it will definitely come as a surprise.
