With the anticilation finally ending, Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or. The record breaking eighth for the Argetina World Cup winner, serves yet another testament to the greatness of him. A 35 year old Messi, beat the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to become the Ballon d’Or 2023 winner. While the competition was stiff Lionel Messi was far more than deserving of the record golden ball.
Messi guided Argentina to their third World Cup triumph after falling short previously. He got the closest in 2014, but lost in the final against Germany in Brazil. He has struggled with the weight of enormous expectations on the world stage since his debut as a long-haired youngster in 2005. Despite Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick on the biggest stage, Argentina overcame France in the final.
Messi had seven goals in the 2022 World Cup, one more than eventual Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe. He also had the tournament’s joint-highest amount of assists (three).
He also became the only player in World Cup history to score in the group stage, last 16, quarter-final, semi-final, and final. As a result, he received a record-breaking five Man of the Match accolades.
Messi went on to win the Golden Ball for the best player in the Qatar competition because there was no other candidate. He is the only player in history to have won the award twice, having won it in both the 2014 edition.
The former Barcelona player has a phenomenal World Cup record, having scored 13 goals and assisted on eight occasions. Only Miroslav Klose (16), Ronaldo Nazario (15), and Gerd Muller (14), have scored more World Cup goals than Messi.
Erling Haaland stood alongside Messi as an eligible contender for the prestigious prize, showcasing a remarkable performance in his debut season with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. A debate ensued regarding whether the Norwegian was sufficiently superior to challenge the seven-time winner for the trophy.
His case was aided by the fact that Messi had not enjoyed much success at the club level lately. Considering the high standards he had set over the years. Particularly during his stint at Paris Saint-Germain, where he might have won a few trophies but delivered average individual performances.
Despite these significant points, the greatness of the two players as individuals cannot be compared. Thus with Messi being the proven legend, while Haaland is on his way to achieving more in the coming years.
Messi concluded his final season at PSG with 21 goals and 20 assists from 41 games across all competitions. Only Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah, Mbappe, and Haaland recorded more goal contributions across Europe’s biggest leagues.
