Lionel Messi wins record-breaking EIGHTH Ballon d’Or as he beats Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to prize

The plaudits for Lionel Messi completing football with a World Cup triumph continued as he was awarded an eighth Ballon d’Or win in Paris.

The Inter Miami megastar extended his record for winning the grandest individual prize in football to three over long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s five.

8

8

8

Finishing behind the 36-year-old were European treble winner Erling Haaland and his fellow World Cup final giant, France’s Kylian Mbappe.

Haaland enjoyed an incredible debut season at Manchester City as he scored 52 goals in all competitions, with 36 of them coming in the Premier League and 12 in the Champions League, but the top individual prize in football has evaded him this year.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Mbappe may well have taken the award had the 2022 World Cup final penalty shootout gone the other way, with the 24-year-old scoring a jaw-dropping hat-trick, making it four World Cup final goals, the most in history.

But it was Messi who instead prevailed, burying his spot-kick after two earlier goals in the 3-3 draw.

All in all in Qatar, Messi recorded seven goals and three assists in just seven games as he captained Argentina to their third crown, and their first since 1986 with Diego Maradona.

It was his second international trophy after a Copa America win in 2021, and 41st overall, adding to four Champions League and ten LaLiga titles while at Barcelona.

Many saw the triumph as the closing chapter on Messi taking the title as the greatest footballer of all time, and the France Football voters – a collection of coaches and players – showed their agreement.

Following his December triumph, Messi called time on his career in elite level football with a move to MLS side Inter Miami, joining in the summer on a free transfer despite reported offers from both PSG and Barcelona.

8

8

8

8

8

That’s since seen record attendances across American soccer, where Messi has shone in a handful of appearances so far.

Between 2010 and 2017, the Ballon d’Or was shared exclusively between Messi and rival Ronaldo as the pair faced off for LaLiga giants Barca and Real Madrid.

The 2018 prize went to Luka Modrid for Madrid’s Champions League success and Croatia's route to the World Cup final, but Messi then added a further two awards in 2019 and 2021, with Karim Benzema taking the prize last year.