Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati were presented with the award on Monday, October 30th Ballon d’Or 2023 chosen.
Messi accepted the award as the best footballer of the season for the eighth time after leading Argentina to their first title since 1986 at the last World Cup.
The Argentine sat down at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the final against France on penalties. Messi also won the Golden Ball for this.
Before moving to Miami this summer, the 36-year-old striker also won the French championship with Paris Saint-Germain. In August, the superstar led his new team to their first title when Inter Miami won the League Cup.
“I couldn’t have imagined having a career like the one I’ve had,” Messi said on stage.
“Everything I have achieved. The luck of playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies. To win the Copa América and then the World Cup is incredible.”
Manchester City’s top scorer Erling Haaland ended up in second place. He scored 2 goals in this one. Kylian Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain completed the podium.
Last year’s winner Karim Benzema landed in 16th place in the French football magazine voting.
The Spanish woman Bonmati succeeds her Barcelona and national team colleague Alexia Putellas who won the Ballon d’Or Feminin in 2021 and 2022.
Bonmati, 25, won the women’s award for the first time after leading Spain to their first World Cup title. She won the Golden Ball at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
The FC Barcelona midfielder also helped her club win La Liga and a second Champions League title, earning her the UEFA Player of the Season award in August.
“I am very proud to win the Ballon d’Or award tonight,” said Bonmati after accepting the award.
“It is an individual award, but football is a team sport, so I would like to dedicate this award to my teammates and the staff at Barcelona and also to my international teammates. Without them I wouldn’t be here.”
The Australian Sam Kerr came second, while the 19-year-old Salma Paralluelo from Spain took third place.
Two male and two female players were nominated from Germany. Alexandra Popp was captain of the German national team Platz 7 rewarded while Lena Obersdorf from VFL Wolfsburg on the 13. Platz landed. Scored for men Ilkay Gundogan for his performance at FC Barcelona Platz 14Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala (Platz 26) made it just into the top 30.
Most recently, the Ballon d’Or 2023 prize was awarded to Germany Matthias Sammer (1996) and Lothar Matthäus (1990). With the upcoming European Championships 2024 in Germany football players will have a new opportunity to prove themselves and their efforts could pay off at the next edition of the Ballon d’Or.
2023-10-31 12:46:34
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