Lionel Messi won the 2023 Ballon d’Or in the men’s category, beating Erling Haaland in surprisingly stunning fashion.
- Messi defeated Haaland in the Ballon d’Or election
- Argentina won by 105 points
- England voted for Messi
WHAT HAPPENED? According to information from various media outlets, including Fabrizio Romano, Messi received 105 votes more than Haaland when the World Cup winner won his eighth Ballon d’Or. The Argentinian added 462 points, while the young Norwegian forward got 357 points.
THE BIG PICTURE: Journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA world rankings voted on who should win the award. Perhaps surprisingly, given Haaland’s goalscoring exploits in the Premier League last season, England representative Henry Winter voted for Messi.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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WHAT’S NEXT FOR MESSI? Messi and his Inter Miami teammates will meet New York City FC in a friendly on November 10, a match organized to celebrate their Ballon d’Or victory. The 36-year-old Argentinian will then captain Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil later this month.
Source: Goal