With the latest instalment of football’s greatest individual award already being speculated upon by the masses, 2023 will almost certainly prove to be the last Ballon d’Or that Lionel Messi stands in serious contention for, following his move to Inter Miami.
The world will have to wait until October, 30th 2023 to find out, but it’s incredibly unlikely any footballer will be able to achieve anything to set that apart in the voting process in the matches leading up to the voting process.
It’s been a frenetic 10 months since Benzema took the award home in 2022, with this year’s award representing a changing of the guard almost entirely across the board. Messi of course, the exception.
His return to the top of world football looks to be a very real possibility, as an unfathomable 8th Ballon d’Or beckons.
So, with Ballon d’Or buzz ramping up, why is Messi a favourite? And who else could pip the magisterial magician to the trophy?
Lionel Messi – Can He Really Win 8 Ballon d’Ors?
Aged 36, it seems La Pulga is the front-runner for a victory that would make him the second oldest recipient of a Ballon d’Or in history, the only older being the first winner, Stanley Mathews (41 at the time).
Unless you’ve been living in a bunker, you are probably aware of Messi and Argentina’s Qatar 2022 World Cup win.
Since the tournament took place a month after the 2022 Ballon d’Or ceremony, performances at the 2022 World Cup will have been a huge factor in this year’s award. For Messi’s chances, this is massive.
The Argentine’s first season with PSG was a struggle, as he adapted to playing for a club that wasn’t Barcelona, and his deeper, playmaking role. Just 6 goals in 26, and a much healthier 15 assists in the league, 2021-2022 had been a disaster by Messi’s ridiculously high standards.
Had the World Cup been part of the 2022 considerations, Messi would have been a more prominent figure in the voting, but still would probably have fallen behind the likes of Mbappe, club form holding him back.
But, his last season at PSG, the season that will be taken into account in the voting, brought forth a return to form, as he averaged a goal contribution every game in the league: 16 goals and 16 assists in 32 games.
His season in France alone puts him in good stead and underpins his tour de force at the World Cup.
Finally, let’s look at the World Cup itself. Messi, despite an average opening game against Saudi Arabia, was as good as ever. I can’t personally remember any passes that went significantly awry or any times he was easily dispossessed.
He may have lost a yard or two of pace, but his assist vs Croatia, turning Gyardiol inside and out, beating him twice to set up Alvarez, proved that he could still terrorise defences the same as ever.
Scoring 7 in 7, only failing to find the net vs Poland, this was Messi’s greatest World Cup in an Argentina shirt. When he wasn’t scoring he was assisting, managing 3 in the tournament.
Even outside of direct goal contributions, he was at the centre of everything good that Argentina did.
His genius round-the-corner pass to slip Mac Allister in, who set up Di Maria in the final was truly special. Never have I seen a player do so much and still have energy after over 130 minutes of football.
At age 36 too! His World Cup was akin to that 86 win, with Maradona carrying the team on his back, except Messi did it when his powers, in many people’s eyes, were waning.
With International team performances historically being the most significant part of the voting, things bode very well for the chances of the football world being blessed with an 8-time winner. A feat I can’t imagine will ever be repeated.
Does anyone else have a chance?
It’s pretty clear who my favourite to win is, but nothing is for certain in football, and that includes Ballon d’Or winners. As incredible a year Messi has had, a few players have had better calendar years at club level.
Too soon for Haaland?
What can be said about Haaland’s first Premier League season that hasn’t already been said? The man is a machine, and despite scoring 52 in 53 across all competitions for Man City this year, I don’t feel we’ve seen the best of him yet.
Leading the Man City line as they won a first Champions League, Haaland completed a treble in his first season, only missing out on the least prestigious of the trophies available to City, the EFL Cup. Winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
The major factor hampering a Haaland win is Norway’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. With the tournament the most significant factor in the voting, Haaland might have to settle for a podium finish.
Mbappe’s World Cup Woes
Had the Ballon d’Or been decided at the same time as previous years, 2022 could very well have been Mbappe’s year.
A hat-trick in the final, 8 goals at the World Cup in total, the tournament’s golden boot winner, 41 goals in 43 for Psg in 2022-23, there’s a good case for Mbappe to beat Haaland, even with Psg’s Champions League capitulation.
That would still leave Messi however, and with a season alongside Messi, he achieved exactly the same as Messi, bar a better strike rate, which is to be expected of him given his position. Naturally, Argentina’s win will without a doubt put Leo in pole position.
