BALLON D'OR
Who has won the Ballon d’Or more times, Messi or Ronaldo?
After leading Argentina to their first World Cup victory since 1986, Lionel Messi picked up yet another Ballon d’Or at the ceremony in Paris.
The eyes of the footballing world were firmly fixed on the French capital on Monday for 2023 Ballon d’Or gala at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Lionel Messi picked up a record eighth men’s Ballon d’Or, moving him further clear as the most decorated male player in the award’s history.
The Rosario native bagged seven goals at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and after the Albiceleste were stunned in their Lusail opener falling to Saudi Arabia (2-1), Messi led the way to the delight of the thousands of Argentine fans who made the trip to the Gulf to see the South American side add to their 1978 and 1986 triumphs.
Messi bagged his first Ballon d’Or win back in 2009 when playing for FC Barcelona. The next eight years saw the award being divided between the Argentine and Cristiano Ronaldo with Messi scooping the award again in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Messi scooped his further three awards in 2015, 2019 and in 2021.
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How many Ballon d’Or has Cristiano Ronaldo won?
With Messi leading the way in Ballon D’Or wins, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo is the second most decorated player in Ballon d’Or history with five titles won from 2008 to 2017.
Four of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or awards came during his time at Real Madrid (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017) with his first arriving following a sensational year with Premier League giants Manchester United in 2008.
For the first time since 2003, the 2023 Ballon d’Or shortlist of 30 players failed to include Ronaldo with the Madeira born native now playing his club football with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
Messi’s most recent Ballon d’Or triumph will surely be the final time that either Messi or Ronaldo, two players who dominated the sport for more than a decade, are named as the best in the world. However their bulging trophy cabinets will stand as a testament to their incredible careers.