The 2023 Ballon d’Or France Football award ceremony took place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
Argentina megastar, Lionel Messi, won the Ballon d’Or for a record eighth time ahead of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and France’s Kylian Mbappe, who finished second and third respectively.
Lionel Messi dedicated his record eighth Ballon d’Or award to Diego Maradona on what would have been the Argentine legend’s 63rd birthday.
“Today I wanted to mention Diego [Maradona],” the 36-year-old said. “There’s no better place to wish him happy birthday than here, around many people loving football, as he wanted.
“Wherever you are, Diego… happy birthday. This [award] also goes to you”.
Messi also shared a message for his competitors Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe as he tipped the duo to go on and win the prestigious award one day.
He went on to add that the Norwegian could have won the award this year after a very successful maiden campaign with Manchester City.
“Haaland and Mbappe will win the Ballon d’Or one day”, he said in his acceptance speech. Erling deserved it very much too, he has won the Premier League, and Champions League while being the top scorer of everything. This award could have been yours today too. I’m sure in the next years you will win it”, he said.
Super Eagles and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen ended in eighth position in the 2023 Ballon d’Or award.
Osimhen finished ahead of the likes of Karim Benzema, Jude Bellingham, Robert Lewandowski and Mohamed Salah in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings.
He became the first Nigerian footballer shortlisted for the award in 24 years, with former Eagles captain Nwankwo Kanu being the last Nigerian player to be shortlisted for the award in 1999.
The 24-year-old made history as the first African to be crowned top scorer in Serie A last season. The Napoli man is also the first player from Africa to win the Scudetto and top scorer award same season, after scoring 26 Serie A goals (31 goals in 39 games across all competitions).
Osimhen also helped the Partenopei reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the very first time in the club’s history last term, with the former Lille striker voted the Serie A best striker for the year.
He equally had a remarkable outing with the Eagles during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, scoring 10 goals to finish as the top scorer during the qualifying series while also helping to secure a spot for the Eagles at next year’s continental showpiece event.
In the Women’s Ballon d’Or category, Aitana Bonmati was the runaway winner of this year’s award after leading Barcelona to a famous treble as well as helping Spain overcome significant off-field strife and lift the World Cup. She received the trophy at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on Monday night.
Aitana finished ahead of Chelsea and Australia’s Sam Kerr and two of her FC Barcelona teammates, Salma Paralluelo and Fridolina Rolfö, in third and fourth.
In her acceptance speech, she said “As role models, we have a responsibility on and off the pitch, we should be more than athletes. Keep leading by example and keep fighting together for a better, peaceful and equal world”.
Meanwhile, for his charity work in Brazil, Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, founder of the Instituto Vini. Jr, was named the winner of the Socrates Award while his teammate Jude Bellingham won the 2023 Kopa Trophy. Argentina’s goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, won the Yachine Trophy Winner.
FC Barcelona Femeni were named Women’s Club of the Year.
