Ballon d'Or award 2023: Messi, Haaland lead nominees - ESPN
ESPN Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland lead the 30-man list of candidates for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award after France Football magazine announced the nominees on Wednesday.
Messi's nomination comes a year after he was omitted from the shortlist. Should he win the men's Ballon d'Or this year, it will mark his eighth time winning the award -- the second most is Cristiano Ronaldo with five. In February, Messi also won FIFA the Best award for a second time.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
The winner will be announced at a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Oct. 30.
Messi led Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup in December -- the only major trophy that had eluded him in his 21-year career, finally claiming the trophy at his fifth attempt.
At club level, Messi had a mixed year. He struggled at Paris Saint-Germain as the French side were dumped out of the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage for a second consecutive season, although he did help the side lift an 11th Ligue 1 title.
