After a strong season winning the World Cup and Golden Boot with Argentina, the French title with Paris Saint-Germain, and finally the League Cup with rising MLS team Inter Miami FC, Argentinian Lionel Messi has won the coveted Ballon D’or trophy.
The Ballon D’or is an award which recognizes the individual performance from a single player and is announced yearly at the Ballon D’or ceremony presented by France Football Magazine. The October 30 ceremony marks 67 years of the event.
Messi made history by receiving the award for the 8th time, surpassing rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s entire country of Portugal with 7. Although the result was faced with much criticism by millions online, Messi’s impact on the game is undebatable. With Lionel getting older and his recent move to the MLS away from european soccer many speculate that his career may be coming to an end shortly, however, as a ‘magician on the ball’ one can never be certain.
Alongside him, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy, which recognizes talent among players under 21, and FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí won the Ballon D’or Feminin, an award recognizing talent among Female Players.
