When Lionel Messi is named the Ballon d’Or winner for 2023 after winning the World Cup, he will likely break his own record, which is already unbreakable.
Lionel Messi, who is currently playing for Inter Miami, declared that the record would never be beaten after taking home his seventh Ballon d’Or in 2021.
Messi said, “I don’t know if the record is beatable,” at the time of the post-ceremony press conference. “I don’t know if it can be defeated, but I just have to accept it. “Seven is incredibly remarkable.”
After two years, the 36-year-old Argentine who won the World Cup appears to be in error. The legend of football is projected to extend his incredible seven Ballon d’Ors to an incredible eight, which is why his forecast is collapsing. Messi is expected to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or, defeating Erling Haaland, the winner of the Manchester City triple, to the esteemed Golden Ball.
Although many question if Messi should have won, Haaland’s campaign speaks for itself despite his incredible goal-scoring ability. For club and country, he not only won another Ligue 1 title but also an elusive World Cup, with 28 goals and 23 assists.
With seven goals, including two in the World Cup final versus France, three assists, and Player of the Tournament honours, the former Barcelona and PSG player concluded the winter World Cup. “There is no doubt that Lionel Messi deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. Messi’s World Cup performance was exceptional. Ronaldo Nazario remarked, “It brought to mind the campaigns of Pelé and Maradona.
The manager of City, Pep Guardiola, who has overseen both Messi and Haaland, attempted to maintain objectivity during the Ballon d’Or discussion. “Yes, Haland ought to prevail. He scored 50, I don’t know, a million goals, and we won the triple crown. Naturally, though, what would you say was the worst Messi season? For the benefit of the other players, that is ideal. What can I say, they both deserve it?” he asked.
“It should belong to Haaland as he assisted us in achieving our goals. But the World Cup went to Messi. We are happy that the players here are deserving of this prize.”
Messi, who joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, will also make history as the first-ever active MLS player to win the Ballon d’Or. Despite arriving late, he scored double digits in goals and assisted the team in winning the Leagues Cup.
Football icon Thierry Henry remarked on CBS Sports, “I mean, a lot of people can debate that, but for me, if you win the World Cup, the way he did it, we can talk about what happened in the final.” “As a Frenchman, I was a little bit disappointed with how it finished but you can’t say that it isn’t deserved if he wins it.”
On Monday, October 30, 2023, the 67th annual Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris.