Lionel Messi wins his eighth Ballon d'Or award

The predictions were fulfilled and Leo Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or at the gala held in Paris. The star has now left his greatest competitor in recent years, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won all five trophies, far behind him.

Messi was the star at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and, with the change in the rules - successes are now counted per season rather than per calendar year - the balance has tipped in his favour. At club level, he won the Ligue 1 title at PSG and has made a big impact at Inter Miami since his arrival.

The 36-year-old Argentinian has maintained a high level of play that has allowed him to deservedly be considered the best player on the planet. At Qatar 2022 he was the heart and soul of Argentina and scored two goals in the final against France, as well as converting their penalty in the shootout.

Leo Messi lifted the World Cup, the third for his country 36 years later. It was the icing on the cake of an extraordinary career in which he won every possible title with both FC Barcelona and the Albiceleste.

The merit is impressive as he had to put up with the comparison with Diego Armando Maradona for a long time and closed the debate in Qatar. And no one can argue that he is the best in the history of football.