Soccer: Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati receive the Ballon d'Or 2023 award

The Ballon d'Or 2023 awards ceremony took place on October 30, 2023, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. In the women's category, Aitana Bonmati won the Ballon d'Or, while Lionel Messi will surely win his last trophy. Discover the final ranking.

It's the most eagerly awaited event in the world of soccer every year: the one that rewards the world's best footballers. The Ballon d'Or ceremony, held in France since its inception, took place this Monday, October 30, 2023 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Randal Kolo Muani (PSG), Kylian Mbappé (PSG) and Antoine Griezmann (Atlético de Madrid) represented France 's male hopefuls this year, while there were only two female players, Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon) and Wendie Renard (Lyon).

Last year, France's Karim Benzema brought a breath of fresh air with his first-ever Ballon d'Or, after an outstanding season at club level, 24 years after Zidane. But this year, Lionel Messi is back in the spotlight, thanks to his success with Argentina at the World Cup. Despite the player's fine career, this umpteenth Ballon d'Or winner is not unanimously acclaimed, ahead of Erling Haaland and his superb season with Manchester City.

Recently, the rules for the Ballon d'Or have changed, and individual performance has become the overriding criterion. Kylian Mbappé would have been equally eligible, with his incredible hat-trick in the World Cup final. On Monday evening, the official results were finally unveiled, with Lionel Messi expected to win his eighth trophy and Aitana Bonmati, winner of the Women's World Cup with the Spanish team, the very first.