Lionel Messi has been informed that he is the winner of the 2023 Ballon d’Or according to family friend Alessandro Dossetti.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has been widely tipped to win his eighth Ballon d’Or on October 30. It appears that he may have been told that he has won the award by a close friend.
Dossetti has made the claim which means Messi will have beaten Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to the award. They said (via AlbicelesteTalk):
“Lionel Messi was told today that he is the winner of Ballon d’Or 2023.”
The 36-year-old comes off an incredible time that saw him finally win the World Cup. The Argentine icon did so in style, bagging seven goals and three assists in seven games. He also picked up the Golden Ball award for his performances in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi was also in scintillating form for Paris Saint-Germain. He bagged 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games across competitions, winning his second Ligue 1 title.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s closest rival this year appeared to be Manchester City superstar Haaland. The Norweigan has been in sensational form since moving to the Etihad in the summer of 2022. He finished as top scorer in the Premier League (36 goals in 35 games) and UEFA Champions League (12 in 11).