Paris ¨C Argentina captain Lionel Messi won a record eighth Ballon d¡¯Or for the best player in the world on Monday, beating Norway¡¯s UEFA player of the year and treble winner Erling Haaland of Manchester City to the prestigious prize.
Inter Miami¡¯s Messi, who last won the award in 2021, played a pivotal role in guiding Argentina to its first World Cup title in 36 years when the team beat defending champions France in the final last year.
The 36-year-old is now three Ballons d¡¯Or clear of rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the last of his five trophies in 2017. Messi has now finished among the top three a record 14 times in total, finishing runner-up on five occasions.
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