The gala event of the 2023 Ballon d’Or Awards will be held at the iconic Chatelet Theater in Paris, France, on October 30. Two weeks ahead of the ceremony, Spanish outlet Diario SPORT has leaked the winners of the Ballon d’Or and Ballon d’Or Féminin Awards.
Lionel Messi To Win Ballon dOr Award
As per SPORT, Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonamati will take home the top two awards on offer at the Chatelet Theater in Paris at the end of October. Messi will win the Ballon d’Or Award for a record eighth time, further extending his record as the most decorated player in the history of the prestigious individual accolade.
His last seven triumphs came in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018), Luka Modric (2018), and Karim Benzema (2022) have managed to one-up the Argentina icon in the last 15 years. If the Inter Miami star wins the award, the 36-year-old will become the first player to win the award while plying his trade outside of Europe.
Erling Haaland is another favorite in the Ballon d’Or race, with the Norwegian enjoying a much better campaign on an individual as well as a club level. He scored 52 goals in 53 appearances across competitions as Manchester City won their first-ever UEFA Champions League as well as the Treble last season.
However, he proved ineffective as Norway failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Messi, on the other hand, emerged as the best player at the Qatar World Cup as Argentina went the distance, beating France in the final. The 36-year-old scored seven goals and claimed three assists in eight matches, deservedly winning the Golden Ball.
Aitana Bonmati To Claim Ballon d’Or Féminin
The FIFA World Cup effect has reportedly impacted Ballon d’Or Féminin rankings as well. Spain’s Aitana Bonmati, who charmed everyone as La Roja won the FIFA Women’s World Cup at England’s expense in August, will reportedly take home the Ballon d’Or Féminin award on October 30. Bonmati also proved to be effective as Barcelona won the UEFA Women’s Champions League last season.
It will mark the end of Alexia Putellas’ reign at the summit, with her winning it back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. Putellas, of course, plays for both Spain and Barcelona, but she could not make a comparable impact due to niggling injuries.
