Lionel Messi wins the 2023 Ballon d’Or for the eighth time. Argentina’s captain led his country to World Cup victory last year, lifting the trophy for the first time. Aitana Bonmati, a midfielder from Spain, wins the Women’s Ballon d’Or after helping her country in the World Cup.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or for the eighth time, and Aitana Bonmati has won the Women’s Ballon d’Or.
Messi, now at Inter Miami, won the World Cup last year and received the Golden Ball award for being the best player of the tournament in Qatar.
The 36-year-old won the Ballon d’Or again, taking it back from Karim Benzema. This is his eighth time winning the award, with previous wins in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021.
The victory of the former Barcelona forward extends his lead over Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award five times. Ronaldo, who is 38 years old and currently plays for Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr, was not included in the shortlist for the first time since 2003.
Messi left European football at the end of last season to join MLS team Inter Miami, after winning the Ligue 1 title in both seasons with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi won the 2023 Ballon d’Or in Paris. He beat Erling Haaland from Manchester City, who scored 52 goals last season and helped City win three trophies. Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup, finished third.
Haaland won the Gerd Muller Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony for his outstanding goal tally in the past season.
Meanwhile, Man City, his team, won the Treble for a second year in a row and were named the men’s club of the year.
Barcelona midfielder Bonmati won the Women’s Ballon d’Or for the first time. She helped Spain win their first World Cup in August and also clinched both the league and Champions League titles with her club.
Bonmati won the Golden Ball for the best player of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She was also named UEFA Women’s Player of the Year recently.
The 25-year-old is the second Spanish player to win the Women’s Ballon d’Or. Alexia Putellas, a fellow Barcelona player, won the award for the past two years.
Bonmati won the award, beating Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr. Mary Earps finished fifth in the voting after winning the Golden Glove at the World Cup.
Fellow Lionesses Rachel Daly (10th), Millie Bright (11th), and Georgia Stanway (23rd) were nominated for the fifth edition of the women’s award. Arsenal and Republic of Ireland’s Katie McCabe finished 22nd.
Meanwhile, Barcelona won the women’s club of the year award after their success in the Champions League and Spanish league last season.
World of sports 
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