Has Lionel Messi won a record eighth Ballon d'Or?

A wonderfully wholesome behind-the-scenes clip of the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony showed Lionel Messi's oldest son Thiago losing count of his father's trophy haul.

«Why seven, dad?» he asks. «Don't you have six? Back at home, there's six.» Messi replies with a smile: «I now have seven.» «But when did you win it?» Thiago fires back, frantically flicking his gaze across the marble table cluttered with golden orbs. «Today,» Messi says. «So, that means you have eight,» a confused Thiago concludes, counting the prize he knew his dad would win that evening. «No,» Messi sighs.

That fog of uncertainty is clouding the wider footballing public once more ahead of the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony, with rumours of Messi's capture of an eighth Ballon d'Or rife.

To avoid the doubt that Thiago Messi had while trying to keep up with his dad's honours, here's everything you need to know about the 2023 Ballon d'Or.

The first whispers that Messi had been confirmed as this year's Ballon d'Or winner emerged on 13 October when Alessandro Dossetti, billed as a close family friend, posted on Instagram: «It's official. Lionel Messi was told today that he is the winner of Ballon d'Or 2023.»

The Barcelona-based publication stoked the flames of the rumours by publishing a report on 17 October claiming that Messi had won the men's award and Barcelona femeni midfielder Aitana Bonmati would lift the women's counterpart. Intriguingly, the article has since been removed from the newspaper's official website.

, the publication that has handed out the prestigious award for the best player each year since 1956 (aside from 2020 which was lost to coronavirus), will not announce the winner until the official ceremony.

Almost ready…