Argentina superstar Lionel Messi is expected to lift his eighth Ballon d’Or award this month after the winners for both the male and female awards 2023 were leaked.
According to Spanish media SPORT, Messi will be handed the most prestigious of individual accolades 2023 Ballon d’Or at a ceremony hosted by France Football in Paris on October 30.
Young and enterprising stars like Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe have all been tipped to compete with Messi after a superb year.
Haaland won the Treble with Manchester City last season after scoring a record 52 goals in 53 games. Mbappe bagged a hat-trick in the World Cup final against Messi’s Argentina and performed well during an underwhelming campaign for PSG.
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However, Messi is due to scoop the award for his efforts in winning the World Cup for Argentina in Qatar.
Messi has reportedly been informed of his victory this time around ahead of the ceremony taking place in Paris.
The Argentine and former Barcelona superstar already has seven Ballon d’Or to his name – more than any player in football history. He is now set to scoop the eight Ballon d’Or.
The 36-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain playmaker joined Inter Miami in July and immediately set MLS alight with strings of exciting performances.
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