🏆 2023 Ballon d’or awards Ceremony Thread - Who will win tonight?

[Goodness]

At 36 years and 128 days old, Lionel Messi is the second-oldest Ballon d’Or winner in history.

Only 41-year-old Sir Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d’Or recepient in 1956, was older.

[Goodness]

Leo Messi to Maradona: “Wherever you are, this is also for you. Happy birthday, Diego.”

[Goodness]

8 Ballon d’Or
6 Golden Shoe

1 World Cup
1 Copa America
1 Finalissima

4 Champions League

2 Ligue 1
1 Trophée des Champions
10 La Liga
7 Copa del Rey
8 Spanish Super Cup
3 UEFA Super Cup
3 Club World Cup

[Goodness]

Lionel Messi is the first Ballon d’Or winner to receive the award while contracted to a non-European club.

The #InterMiamiCF owner presented it as well.

[Goodness]

Seven players have won the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or in the same campaign:

Bobby Charlton (1966)
Paolo Rossi (1982)
Lothar Matthäus (1990)
Zinedine Zidane (1998)
Ronaldo (2002)
Fabio Cannavaro (2006)
Lionel Messi (2022/23)

[Jay]

MESSI THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Ballon d’Or 2023 complete winners list:

Ballon d’Or- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)

Ballon d’Or Feminin- Aitana Bonmatí (FC Barcelona Femení, Spain)

Kopa Trophy for the best male U-21 player - Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)

Yachine Trophy for the best male goalkeeper - Emiliano Martínez (Astona Villa, Argentina)

Gerd Müller Trophy for the highest-scoring male striker - Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)

Socrates Award to acknowledge humanitarian work - Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, Brazil)

Club of the Year - Manchester City and FC Barcelona Femeni

[Lokesh]

Messi wins his 8th #BallonDor

[Goodness]

In honor of his 8 Ballon d’Ors, Adidas gave Lionel Messi 8 rings. Each one, for each Ballon d’Or.

And each one includes a detail of his career.

2009: “El Beso”, for the celebration kissing the loot in the Champions League final against Manchester United.

2010: “Apunta Al Cielo” in homage to his mystical celebration dedicated to his grandmother Celia.

2011: “GOAT”, being the figure of the best team in history, Pep’s Barcelona.

2012: “91”, for the number of goals in a calendar year, being a historical record.

2015: For winning his last Champions League, winning 4 in total.

2019: For obtaining his last Golden Shoe (6 in total), being the top winner.

2021: “South American Champion” for winning the Copa América, being the MVP and top scorer.

2023: The three stars, honoring Argentina world champion.

[Daniel]

@Goodness

At 36 years and 128 days old, Lionel Messi is the second-oldest Ballon d’Or winner in history.

Lionel Messi’s eight Ballon d’Ors truly showcase his exceptional talent and contribution to football. A remarkable achievement that cements his legacy in the sport.

Congratulations to the Greatest of all time

[Goodness]

Leo Messi: “Presenting the Ballon d’Or at the Parc des Princes? I don’t think the people of Paris really want to see me presenting the Ballon d’Or."

“I had to interrupt my stay in Paris for different reasons but I took advantage of it a lot. I was very happy here and my children loved the city. They wanted to continue in France, stay at school here and not leave their friends. From a sporting point of view, it didn’t really go as I hoped but I have very good memories and there are many of them.”

[Samuel]

Lionel Messi (8) now has more Ballon d’Ors to his name than the entire nation of Portugal (7)

[Samuel]

Erling Haaland’s first season at Man City:

52 goals
FA Cup
Premier League
Champions League
Premier League top scorer
Champions League top scorer
UEFA Men’s Player of the Year
Premier League Player of the Season

Not enough to win the Ballon d’Or…

[Samuel]

Yesterday was Kylian Mbappé’s FIRST-EVER career finish in the top three voting for the Ballon d’Or

He’s been at the top of the game since winning the 2018 World Cup, but has never finished in the top three prior to this year

[Samuel]

Lionel Messi was presented with 8 gold rings after he collected his 8th Ballon d’Or

Each ring design is different and carries details of every time he was named the best player in the world

(via adidas)

[Samuel]

Good luck breaking any of these Lionel Messi records

[Samuel]

Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or on Diego Maradona’s birthday

He dedicated his award to Maradona, saying “Wherever you are, Diego, happy birthday. This goes also to you.”

[Samuel]

Lionel Messi has beaten some big names to win the Ballon d’Or in recent years

2019: Virgil van Dijk
2021: Robert Lewandowski
2023: Erling Haaland

[Samuel]

1966—Bobby Charlton
1982—Paolo Rossi
1990—Lothar Matthäus
1998—Zinedine Zidane
2002—Ronaldo
2006—Fabio Cannavaro
2022/23—Lionel Messi

Only seven men’s players have won the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or in the same cycle

[Samuel]

Pep says you can never complain about Messi winning the Ballon d’Or

[Samuel]

Messi gave Haaland a shoutout after winning the Ballon d’Or