Speaking after winning the FIFA Ballon d'Or from France Football magazine at the Chatelet Theater (Paris, France) on the morning of October 31, Messi emotionally shared: "Thank you everyone, especially my teammates. Thank you to everyone who voted for me.
Messi won the Golden Ball for the 8th time in his career (Photo: AP).
This Ballon d'Or is a great gift for all Argentines. I don't want to forget Haaland or Mbappe, who had a great season. They will win this award in the years to come.
I have been fortunate to be part of the Ballon d'Or race for many years. I would like to make a special mention to all those who were happy when Argentina became world champions.
I would also like to thank all my family, my wife, my children, they have been by my side in the worst moments. They all helped me to realise my dream in football. Without them it would not have been possible."
With today's latest title, Lionel Messi has made history by winning the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the 8th time. Previously, El Pulga was honored in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021.
Messi and his sons at the 2023 Ballon d'Or award ceremony in Paris, France (Photo: AP).
In a memorable moment of his career, Messi mentioned his late compatriot Diego Maradona: "I want to mention Maradona one last time and wish him a happy birthday. I think there is no better place to congratulate him than here, with all the stars and the Ballon d'Or present.
This title is also yours and that of all Argentines. All awards are special, but I always emphasize the importance of the Argentine national team. Look at Man City, they were the strongest team and achieved everything last season."
"I couldn't imagine what I've achieved in my career. I've been very lucky, I've played for the best team in the world, the best in history, thanks to which I've been able to win many individual awards.
I had some very bad times, but I never gave up on the Argentina team. Winning the Copa America, then the World Cup, that was great for me," Messi recalled about the glorious moments with the Argentina team in the past 2 years.
David Beckham next to Inter Miami co-president David Beckham at the awards ceremony (Photo: AP).
Over the past month, international media have predicted that Lionel Messi will win the 2023 Ballon d'Or. The 36-year-old star helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, an achievement that experts rate higher than the "treble" that Erling Haaland won with Man City last season.
Inter Miami Club Co-President David Beckham congratulated Lionel Messi: "It's special to say that Messi is an Inter Miami player and he is in our city. Lionel will celebrate this with his teammates and family in his own way. I'm sure we can have a nice party."
Titles awarded at the 2023 Golden Ball Gala:
Men's Ballon d'Or: Lionel Messi (Argentina/Inter Miami).
Women's Golden Ball: Aitana Bonmati (Spain/Barcelona).
Best striker: Erling Haaland (Norway/Man City).
Best goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Argentina/Aston Villa).
Best Young Player: Jude Bellingham (England/Real Madrid).
Best Men's Team: Man City
Best Women's Team: Barcelona
Socrates Award (honoring players with contributions to society): Vinicius Jr (Brazil/Real Madrid).
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