News is causing a stir that Messi has convincingly beaten Haaland to win his eighth Ballon d'Or.
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| Messi won the 2023 Ballon d'Or with a significantly higher score than runner-up Haaland. |
Messi convincingly defeated Haaland to win his eighth Ballon d'Or, but there were also three 'special' votes that drew attention.
So, by what exact number of points did Messi surpass Haaland in the 2023 Ballon d'Or race? The organizers (France Football magazine) have announced the specific scores of the candidates, along with the votes of 100 journalists to ensure transparency.
Specifically, Messi won convincingly with 462 points, far ahead of Erling Haaland (370 points) – who came in second – by 105 points. Meanwhile, the third-placed player, Mbappe, had 270 points.
Messi truly dominated this year's race. His overwhelming points total further demonstrates this. However, there was still some discussion and controversy surrounding the three ballots from national football journalists representing the top three winners.
The first surprise was that the ballot from a French journalist (Vincent Garcia of France Football) did not vote for a Frenchman (Kylian Mbappe) to win the Ballon d'Or, instead naming Haaland, with Messi in third place.
In the Norwegian lineup, Haaland is naturally number one, followed by Messi. Most surprisingly, the vote by Argentinian football journalist Enrique "Quique" Wolff from ESPN caused a stir, with only one name outside the tango dance group in the top 5, and that wasn't Haaland. The list was: Messi, Julian Alvarez, Mbappe, Emiliano Martinez, Lisandro Martinez.
Fans mocked Enrique's selection, calling it ridiculously biased, given that the top 5 included four Argentinian players, while the only outsider, Mbappe, wasn't chosen instead of Haaland...
After setting an unprecedented record with his eighth Ballon d'Or, Messi officially bid farewell to European football, effectively ending his long-standing dominance of this prestigious individual award alongside Ronaldo (who has moved to Asia). The award itself also marks a new milestone, with UEFA joining as co-organizers of the award starting next year (2024).
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