Messi named to 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist and could become first active MLS player to win it
Marca Lionel Messi on Wednesday was announced as one of the 30 shortlisted players for the 2023 men's Ballon d'Or.
Messi has won the prestigious individual award on no less than seven occasions, but this nomination -- and his potential eighth win -- would be historic for Inter Miami and Major League Soccer as a whole.
Messi, the first nominee from MLS since Beckham!
It has been quite some time since an MLS star has made an appearance on the Ballon d'Or's shortlist. In fact, the last time it happened was in 2007, when the man who currently has a slice of Inter Miami's ownership pie was an active player.
David Beckham, playing for LA Galaxy at the time, was nominated for the award 16 years ago, just a few months after moving to the United States from Real Madrid. Kaka, an eventual Real Madrid player himself, won the Golden Ball that year.
