Lionel Messi is set to become the first player playing outside of Europe to win the Ballon d’Or, according to reports.
Spanish media outlet, Sport, claimed that Messi will win the 2023 Ballon d’Or award, due to his exploits from 2022 to 2023.
If these speculations are anything to go by, Lionel Messi will be snapping home his 8th Ballon d’Or award, and this will see him reclaim the crown that he last won in 2021.
Al Ittihad’s Karim Benzema won the award in 2022, following an outstanding season with Real Madrid.
Why should Messi win the 2023 Ballon d’Or award
Messi has been tipped by many bookmakers as favorite to win the award, after leading Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The former Barcelona forward was instrumental to La Albiceleste’s success at the tournament, scoring 7 goals and providing 3 assists in 7 matches.
Lionel Messi ended the competition as the second top-scorer and the joint-highest in terms of assists.
The 36-year-old didn’t particularly have a great season with Paris Saint Germain last term, as supporters of the club booed him in several matches in the 2022/23 season.
Anyway, he assisted the Paris-based club to win the French Ligue 1 title and the Trophée des Champions last season.
Messi scored 21 goals and provided 20 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for PSG last season.
The 2022 World Cup winner departed the club at the expiration of the 2022/23 season to join Inter Miami.
He has scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists in 13 appearances since his arrival to the Major League Soccer club.
If Lionel Messi does go on to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or award, he will be trumping other top favorites like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
Erling Haaland assisted Manchester City to win the treble – Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup last season, smashing and setting several records in the process.
Haaland scored 52 goals and provided 9 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions for the Cityzens last season.
Lionel Messi to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or
Reports of Messi winning the award have since resulted in mixed reactions, with many wondering about the rationale and parameters used in potentially handing him the award.
The FIFA World Cup appears to be the deciding factor but it is worth noting that international teammate Julian Alvarez also won the treble – Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League with Manchester City last term and the World Cup with Argentina.
At club level, Lionel Messi’s former teammate Kylian Mbappe also made it to the final of the World Cup with France and lost it to Messi’s Argentina. He won the Ligue 1 and Trophée des Champions with PSG.
Mbappe won the Golden Boot of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring 8 goals in 7 matches.
For Paris Saint Germain, the 24-year-old scored 41 goals and provided 10 assists in 43 appearances last season.
