By Fan Zhou
Saturday, 4th Nov 2023, 4:25 PM MYT
PARIS: Argentina captain Lionel Messi beat Norway's UEFA Player of the Year, Erling Haaland of treble-winning Manchester City, to win the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player for a record eighth time on Monday.
Soccer Football - 2023 Ballon d'Or - Chatelet Theatre, Paris, France - October 30, 2023 Inter Miami's Lionel Messi with the men's Ballon d'Or. （Getty Images）
Messi, 36, became the first Major League Soccer player to win the coveted award, although his triumph owed much to his national team's performance at the World Cup in Qatar.
Former Manchester United player and Miami International owner David Beckham handed the award to his winning player, Messi, in Paris.(AP)
Zhang Haocheng, SEGI student and football fan: "I've loved Messi for five years now, and it's no surprise that he won the Ballon d'Or; he’s the greatest player ever. His humility and perseverance constantly inspire me."
Mr. Zhang Haocheng was thrilled to learn that Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times, while Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten are all three-time winners.
Messi thanked his Argentine coaches, teammates, and staff for making his victory possible.
"I enjoyed myself tonight. It's a pleasure that will never leave me, and I hope to enjoy it for many years." Messi said. "Becoming world champions is the title we were missing. I want to thank all those who helped Argentina become world champions."
Lionel Messi accepted his eighth Ballon d'Or trophy and was joined by his sons at the awards ceremony in Paris. （Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images）
In his acceptance speech, Messi made a point of wishing fellow Argentine Diego Maradona a happy birthday. The 1986 World Cup winner died on 22 November 2020 and would have turned 63 on Monday.
As captain, Messi was instrumental in Argentina's success in Qatar, scoring seven goals and assisting three times to be named Player of the Tournament.
He scored twice in the final and added a second in the penalty shootout against France to give Lionel Scaloni's side one of the most memorable victories in the tournament's history.
Messi completed his soccer trophy cabinet by winning the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022. （Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images）
Messi ruled out a return to Europe following his move to Miami International earlier this year. Messi was asked in an interview if his playing time in Europe had ended, and he answered in the affirmative.
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