The 67th edition of the Ballon d’Or 2023 was held on 30th October 2023 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, France.
- Argentina’s Lionel Andrés Messi (Lionel Messi), who plays as a forward for Inter Miami CF has won the Ballon d’Or award or Golden Ball Award for the record 8th time.
- Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí Conca (Aitana Bonmati) has won the Ballon d’Or (Women) award or Ballon d’Or Féminin Award.
Ballon d’Or awards 2023:
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Ballon d’Or (Men) | Lionel Messi(Argentina) Club – Inter Miami CF |
| Ballon d’Or (Women) | Aitana Bonmati(Spain) FC Barcelona |
| Kopa Award (Best player aged under 21) | Jude Bellingham (England) Club – Real Madrid |
| Gerd Muller Award (Best goalscorer) | Erling Haaland(Norway) Club – Manchester City |
| Yachine Trophy (Best goalkeeper) | Emiliano Martinez(Argentina) Club – Aston Villa |
| Men’sClub of the Year Award | Manchester City |
| Women’s Club of the Year | FC Barcelona |
| Socrates Award | Vinicius Jr(Brazil) Club – Real Madrid |
Lionel Messi – Men’s Ballon d’Or:
i.The 36-year-old Lionel Messi was recognised after helping Argentina to win the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
- In the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Messi scored seven goals including two in the final against France.
ii.This marks Messi’s 8th Ballon d’Or award including his wins in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023 also the highest of any player, Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) has won it five times, and Michel Platini (France), Johan Cruyff (Netherlands), and Marco van Basten (Netherlands) have each won it three times.
iii.Messi is the first active player in Major League Soccer (MLS)(played in United States) history to win this award.
Aitana Bonmati – Women’s Ballon d’Or:
i.Aitana Bonmati was recognised after helping Spain to win the FIFA World Cup 2023 (against England) which was held in Australia and New Zealand.
- She was also part of the Barcelona team which won the Union of European Football Associations(UEFA) Women’s Champions League 2023 held in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Other Winners:
i.Emiliano Martinez won the Yachine Trophy for the best goalkeeper in the world.
- Martinez had won the Golden Glove in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
ii.The 20-year-old Jude Bellingham has won the Kopa Trophy for the world’s best player (male) aged under 21.
iii. Erling Haaland was recognised for his achievements with the Gerd Muller Trophy for best goalscorer.
iv.Vinicius Jr, a Real Madrid winger, received the Socrates Award for his contributions off the field and committed to continue speaking out against racism in world sports.
About Ballon d’Or:
i.The Ballon d’Or is annually presented by the French magazine ‘France Football’, since 1956.
- It was awarded based on achievements from the past season.
- This was the fifth edition of the Women’s Ballon d’Or since the first edition was held in 2018.
Note: In 2022, France’s Karim Benzema(Real Madrid) won the Men’s Ballon d’Or while Alexia Putellas (Spain & Club – Barcelona) won the Women’s Ballon d’Or award.
Recent Related News:
i.Spain Women’s football team (nicknamed La Roja) won the Fédération Internationale de Football Association(FIFA) Women’s World Cup 2023 by defeating England 1-0 in the finals at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on 20th August 2023.
ii.Argentina forward Lionel Messi was named Best FIFA Men’s player 2022 and Spain’s midfielder Alexia Putellas was named Best FIFA Women’s player 2022 awards.
