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| Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF waves to the fans after a draw during a match between Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium on August 30, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. |
Inter Miami CF superstar Lionel Messi is one step closer to an eighth Ballon d'Or award.
The Argentine forward was part of the 30-player shortlist announced Wednesday in advance of the award being granted Oct. 30 in Paris. The annual award will recognize the world's best male soccer player in the 2022–23 season – potentially making Messi the first active MLS winner.
Messi, whose seven Ballon d'Or awards are two more than his closest competitor (Cristiano Ronaldo; five), won a much-coveted World Cup title last December with La Albiceleste. He then formally signed with Inter Miami in mid-July after two years at French side Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi has been sensational since joining Inter Miami midsummer alongside ex-FC Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. He has 11g/8a in 11 games across all competitions, already helping secure the Herons' first-ever trophy (2023 Leagues Cup) and booking a 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup spot. They're also hosting the US Open Cup Final on Sept. 27 vs. Houston Dynamo FC and pursuing a climb into the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Lionel Messi: Ballon d'Or history
Messi won six of his seven past Ballon d'Or awards with FC Barcelona. If he wins next month, he will become the first active MLS winner.
Winner (7): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021
Second Place (5): 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
Third Place (1): 2007
Full list of men's Ballon d'Or nominees
Julián Álvarez - Manchester City/Argentina
Nicolo Barella - Inter Milan/Italy
Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid/England
Karim Benzema - Al Ittihad/France
Yassine Bounou - Al Hilal/Morocco
Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City/Belgium
Rúben Dias - Manchester City/Portugal
Antoine Griezmann - Atletico Madrid/France
Ilkay Gündogan - Barcelona/Germany
Josko Gvardiol - Manchester City/Croatia
Erling Haaland - Manchester City/Norway
Vinícius Júnior - Real Madrid/Brazil
Harry Kane - Bayern Munich/England
Randal Kolo Muani - Paris Saint-Germain/France
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Napoli/Georgia
Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona/Poland
Emiliano Martínez - Aston Villa/Argentina
Lautaro Martínez - Inter Milan/Argentina
Kylian Mbappé - Paris Saint-Germain/France
Lionel Messi - Inter Miami/Argentina
Kim Min-Jae - Napoli/South Korea
Luka Modric - Real Madrid/Croatia
Jamal Musiala - Bayern Munich/Germany
Martin Odegaard - Arsenal/Norway
André Onana - Manchester United/Cameroon
Victor Osimhen - Napoli/Nigeria
Rodri - Manchester City/Spain
Mohamed Salah - Liverpool/Egypt
Bukayo Saka - Arsenal/England
Bernardo Silva - Manchester City/Portugal