Following his historic eighth Ballon d’Or victory, Kylian Mbappe showed his sentiments to Lionel Messi with a meaningful gesture. Messi won the coveted prize following an incredible 2022–2023 campaign that included victories in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain and, most importantly, guiding Argentina to World Cup victory, ending a 36-year drought for his country.
After winning the World Cup, many people predicted that Messi would win the Ballon d’Or, but it’s important to remember that the final match versus France, which took place in Qatar, could have gone either way, particularly in light of Kylian Mbappe’s incredible hat-trick in a penalty shootout. If France had won, Mbappe would have won the Ballon d’Or for the first time. He did, however, show sportsmanship by expressing his congratulations to Messi on Instagram for his well-earned honor, writing, “Leo, congratulations on your prize. You merit it.
Eight Ballon d’Or awards have now been added to Messi’s resume; they were won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023. Though Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times (in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017), it has also been won three times by legends like Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten.
In addition to Mbappe, Messi faced fierce competition this season from Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Rodri of Manchester City. Messi graciously recognized the work of his international teammates and shared the honor with them in his acceptance speech. He also highlighted the promising potential of the young players in the mix, such as Kylian, Erling, and Kevin.
Messi dedicated the trophy to his dream accomplishment and expressed his happiness after winning the World Cup. Given that it was Diego Maradona’s birthday, he gave a particular thanks to Maradona and acknowledged his wife. All in all, the night was noteworthy for honoring these extraordinary abilities.
In addition, Erling Haaland won the Gerd Muller Trophy as the greatest striker in recognition of his outstanding 52 goals for Manchester City in the previous season, while Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or for her part in Spain’s World Cup success. While acknowledging his team’s accomplishments, Haaland also underlined their commitment to working toward even greater success.
