Washington Post · Oct 31, 2023
Lionel Messi wins eighth Ballon d’Or, first for an active MLS player
Lionel Messi bested Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Kevin De Bruyne for this year's Ballon d'Or. (Michel Euler/AP)At his previous club, Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentine superstar had a fine 2022-23 season, but it was his leadership of his home nation to a World Cup triumph last year that probably pushed him past Erling Haaland for this year’s Ballon d’Or. Manchester City’s scoring maven came in second, with Kylian Mbappé, Messi’s former PSG teammate, third and Kevin De Bruyne, another Manchester City standout, fourth.