Superstar footballer, Lionel Messi is set to lift his eighth Ballon d’Or this month after the winners for both the male and female awards for 2023 were leaked.
Messi, 36, achieved huge success when he led Argentina to World Cup glory at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The former Barcelona star has long been the frontrunner to scoop the top prize at the awards ceremony in Paris at the end of October.
The Argentine’s eighth trophy will extend his record as the most-decorated recipient of the award, and will see the 36-year-old reclaim the Ballon d’Or after it went to Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema in 2022.
His imminent triumph will see the Ballon d’Or awarded to someone who plays outside of Europe for the first time in history and take him three clear of his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 36-year-old faced fierce competition from Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and ex-PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe but is set to come out on top thanks to his heroics in Qatar.
As per Spanish outlet SPORT, the women’s iteration of the award will likely to be scooped up by Aitana Bonmati, who played a starring role in Spain’s sensational Women’s World Cup victory in Australia.
The Barcelona midfielder was named the World Cup’s Player of the Tournament after Spain defeated England in August’s final, and took home the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year trophy in September.
Bonmati will be the second consecutive Barcelona star to lift the Ballon d’Or, after her team-mate and compatriot Alexia Putellas received the award last year.
