Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or for the eighth time in his career (AFP via Getty)
The full Ballon d’Or top 50 list has been revealed with Lionel Messi winning the award for a record eighth time.
Messi has been crowned the world’s best player once again after he played a pivotal role in Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar in December.
Remarkably, Messi was not included in the top 50 Ballon d’Or list last year.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who won the Gerd Muller trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday, finished second in the voting.
Paris Saint-Germain and France striker Kylian Mbappe finished third.
The Ballon d’Or is voted for by 100 journalists from FIFA’s top 100 nations. They each pick five players from a 30-man shortlist and all votes are added up via a points system.
BALLON D’OR 2023 TOP 50
1. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/Argentina)
2. Erling Haaland (Man City/Norway)
3. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain/France)
4. Kevin De Bruyne (Man City/Belgium)
5. Rodri (Man City/Spain)
6. Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid/Brazil)
7. Julian Alvarez (Man City/Argentina)
8. Victor Osimhen (Napoli/Nigeria)
9. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/Portugal)
10. Luka Modric (Real Madrid/Croatia)
11. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt)
12. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona/Poland)
13. Yassine Bounou (Sevilla/Morocco)
14. Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona/Germany)
15. Emi Martinez (Aston Villa/Argentina)
16. Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad/France)
17. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli/Georgia)
18. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/England)
19. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England)
20. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/Argentina)
21. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/France)
22. Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich/South Korea)
23. Andre Onana (Manchester United/Cameroon)
24. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal/England)
25. Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City/Croatia)
26. Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich/Germany)
27. Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan/France)
= 28. Randal Kolo Muani (PSG/France)
= 28. Martin Odegaard (Arsenal/Norway)
30. Ruben Dias (Manchester City/Portugal)
Elsewhere, Erling Haaland won the Gerd Muller Trophy after scoring 52 goals in his first season for Manchester City.
The 23-year-old set the record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign with 36 goals in 35 matches last season.
Erling Haaland won the Gerd Muller Trophy after scoring 52 goals for Man City last season (Getty)
The Norway international also became the first player in the Premier League to score hat-tricks in three successive home games.
‘If I had to give one piece of advice to any young striker it is to stay hungry. To always be ready and always be in the moment,’ Haaland said.
Kylian Mbappe finished third behind Lionel Messi for the 2023 Ballon d’Or (AFP via Getty)
‘To stay sharp and to want to score, to have this feeling that I had quite a few times last season. It’s an amazing feeling which is why I always want to do it more.
‘I’m always chasing this feeling.’
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Erling Haaland finished second in the voting, while Kylian Mbappe ended up third.
