Lionel Messi beat Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Kevin de Bruyne to win the GOAL50 award after being voted for by fans globally.
This 36-year-old player now has 7 GOAL50 victories, an unparalleled achievement, 2 times more than his number 1 rival Cristiano Ronaldo. GOAL50 is an annual award ranking the 50 best football players in the world over the past 12 months.
For 2021, the final winners were decided by a panel of experts from GOAL. However, a format change in 2022 has given fans the power to decide who will top the table when the clashes are selected.
It’s no surprise to see Messi dominate after another stellar year. Messi enters 2023 as a World Cup champion after leading Argentina to glory in Qatar last December. At the same time, he added a second Ligue 1 title to his trophy cabinet after returning to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Argentinian legend scored 21 goals and 20 assists in all competitions in his final season at Parc des Princes, before making the decision to start a new adventure in MLS after it was over. Contract expires in June.
Inter Miami signed Messi on an initial two-year deal and he made an immediate impact at DRV PNK Stadium, scoring 14 goals in his first 11 appearances while helping the club got their first piece of silverware at the League Cup.
Messi also continued to maintain his form to help Argentina get off to a strong start for the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with 5 wins after 6 matches and excellently won the eighth Golden Ball, an unprecedented achievement in his career. player.
The GOAL50 victory marked a successful 2023 for Messi. Fans hope that the 36-year-old star will continue to maintain his enthusiasm to compete at the top for many more years.