To be named Lionel Messi means you are a perennial candidate for the Ballon d'Or for Best Player. How much more so when the race for this prestigious award coincides with ending Argentina's drought in winning the World Cup since 1986. The result is obvious, even if Messi has surpassed 35 years of age and is defending the colors of Inter Miami in a "modest" league compared to European leagues.
Messi solidified his legend by winning the most famous individual award in global football, awarded annually by the French magazine "France Football," for the eighth time in his career, moving three titles ahead of his rival, the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi's award came after he successfully led the Argentine national team to victory in the World Cup at the end of 2022 in Qatar.
After making his mark in the last World Cup in Qatar by scoring seven goals, including a brace in the final match against France, as well as providing three assists and earning the Best Player award at the global event, along with a league title in France with Paris Saint-Germain, the "little genius" was a candidate for the Ballon d'Or despite his move to Inter Miami. This was made possible by the recent adjustment in the criteria for the award, which now depends on a player's performance during the last season rather than the entire calendar year.
Winning the World Cup was the highlight of Messi's incredible career, which gave him the edge in the 2023 Ballon d'Or race over his competitors: Norwegian star Erling Haaland from Manchester City and Kylian Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain, the runner-up and top scorer of the Qatar World Cup, who finished behind him in the award voting.
The 2023 edition of the Ballon d'Or may very well be Messi's last, as he currently plays in a much less competitive league (the American league), thereby paving the way for younger players, especially Mbappé (24 years old) and Haaland (23 years old), to compete for the prestigious award.
