Lionel Messi is the bookies favourite to win the Ballon d’Or
(AFP via Getty Images)
The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony takes place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris this evening when football’s most prestigious prize is presented to the best footballer from the 2022/23 season.
Lionel Messi, the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or, is the most decorated winner of all time with seven triumphs to his name. His heroics in helping Argentina win the World Cup mean Messi looks likely to extend his record with an eighth win but he faces competition from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland who had a record-breaking season of his own and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe after he won Ligue 1 and played a huge part in taking France to the World Cup final.
The women’s award, the Ballon d’Or Féminin, will also be handed out this evening. Spain’s Aitana Bonmati is the favourite to succeed Alexia Putellas as the award winner after leading Spain to their Women’s World Cup triumph and Barcelona to the Women’s Champions League but there may be some surprises in store at the ceremony.
Follow along for the latest updates from the Ballon d’Or awards in Paris with our liveblog below:
Lionel Messi is no longer the best in the world but he still deserves one last Ballon d’Or
For the eighth and probably last time, Lionel Messi will win the Ballon d’Or tonight. Messi will beat competition from Manchester City’s treble-winners, an inevitable result after he inspired Argentina to their first World Cup since Diego Maradona did the same in 1986. The betting has stopped, and the only mystery left at the Paris ceremony is to guess the fabric of his suit.
Messi’s journey can be told in football and in fashion choices. He collected his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 wearing a basic black suit and tie, looking like a boy at the school prom, and with each passing year his attire became more bold: the bow tie and tux in 2010, the velvet sheen in 2011 and the garish polka dots in 2012 symbolising the blooming confidence of a young man who could do no wrong, who could take a hideous suit like a bad pass and turn it into something great, or at least slightly less hideous, by dint of his own brilliance.
Things got a little out of hand in 2013 when he wore a full red ensemble, an outfit which, in hindsight, didn’t deserve to win. Messi was beaten by Cristiano Ronaldo two years in a row, and when he finally resumed his throne in 2015, he did so back in a classic black tuxedo. In 2019, Messi’s simple grey tie was a suitably sombre look to end his four-year winless drought, before the shimmering sparkles of 2021 which lit him up like a galaxy as he claimed No 7.
Lawrence Ostlere takes a look at Messi’s magic – and his wardrobe – as the Ballon d’Or awards approach:
Karl Matchett30 October 2023 18:10
Georgia Stanway disappointed to miss ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Ballon d’Or ceremony
The England and Bayern Munich midfielder is among the nominees but will not be at Monday evening’s ceremony in Paris as she prepares for the Lionesses’ match against Belgium in Leuven, part of a busy schedule of Nations League fixtures on Tuesday.
“There’s a few people I would also add to the list who have had very, very successful years. It’s a real achievement to be amongst those names.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t be there. That’s something we spoke as a player group (about), and we just kind of said it would be nice in the future if it wasn’t on a matchday minus one, so that we could enjoy the experience. It is (frustrating), because it’s potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Karl Matchett30 October 2023 18:05
What time is the Ballon d’Or tonight?
The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony takes place tonight when football’s most prestigious individual prize is presented to the most worthy recipient. The Ballon d’Or and Ballon d’Or Féminin are annual awards presented by French news magazine France Football and have been running since 1956.
Lionel Messi is the most decorated Ballon d’Or winner with seven triumphs to his name and is the big favourite to be awarded the trophy again this year after his heroics in helping Argentina win the World Cup. Messi faces competition from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe.
Aitana Bonmati is the favourite to succeed Putellas for the Ballon d’Or Feminin after leading Spain to the Women’s World Cup and Barcelona to the Women’s Champions League. Bonmati was named player of the tournament in both the World Cup and Champions League, while Chelsea and Australia star Sam Kerr could place highly.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the ceremony:
Karl Matchett30 October 2023 16:31
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