Messi and Another Ballon d'Or: A Global Hero of the 21st Century

Abstract

Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or for the eighth time, an annual award given by France Football magazine since 1956 to the best soccer player in the world. He is the highest recipient of this award, surpassing players of the stature of Cristiano Ronaldo, Michel Platini, Marco Van Basten and Johan Cruyff, among others. The player, originally from Rosario, Argentina, started playing children's soccer at Newell's Old Boys in his hometown and played professionally for Barcelona F.C., Paris Saint-Germain and currently for Inter Miami. He was the captain of the Argentine Soccer Team that won the World Cup in Qatar 2022.