Lionel Messi 'beats Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe to eighth Ballon d'Or'
Inter Miami and Argentina captain Lionel Messi will win a record-breaking eighth Ballon d'Or at the Paris ceremony later this month, according to a report.
The prestigious accolade will be awarded at Paris' Theatre du Chatelet on October 30, where Messi will make his return to the French capital a few months after his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.
The 36-year-old struggled to settle in Ligue 1 following his emotional exit from Barcelona, but he helped Les Parisiens clinch a second successive top-flight title last term, amassing 16 goals and 16 assists in 32 games along the way.
No player registered more assists in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season than Messi, whose closest challengers Neymar and Jonathan Clauss set up 11 goals, and the Argentine was named the division's best foreign player and also earned a place in the Team of the Year.
Despite recording four goals and four assists in seven Champions League games, Messi and PSG suffered last-16 heartbreak against Bayern Munich, but the attacker finally conquered the world with Argentina at the fifth time of asking in Qatar.
La Albiceleste ended a 36-year wait for their third World Cup crown by defeating France on penalties in the final, after which Messi was presented with the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
The Inter Miami attacker became the only player with two Golden Ball prizes to his name in Qatar, while his seven goals also earned him the Silver Boot behind Kylian Mbappe (eight).
Messi's domestic and international exploits unsurprisingly saw him nominated for the Ballon d'Or for the 16th time, and according to Sport, the Argentine will get his hands on the trophy again.
The former Barcelona man had previously claimed the prize in 2009, 2010, 2011,
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