Messi, now strutting his stuff at Inter Miami, now has eight Ballon d’Or trophy
Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmatí are the latest Ballon d’Or holders after receiving the prestigious accolade given to the best men and women’s soccer players worldwide every year, as voted by representative journalists from 100 participating countries.
The coveted trophies—each reportedly worth around €3,000 ($3,200) in material value—stand for the most exceptional individuals in the game, and, as customary, Monday evening saw the best talents gather in Paris, France, for the serious, yet fun-spirited, ceremony hosted by ex-striker Didier Drogba and journalist and presenter Sandy Heribert.
Messi, who left European soccer to join Inter Miami in the United States in July, was the expected successor to Karim Benzema after his role in propelling Argentina to World Cup glory last December. He beat Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland to a record-extending eighth trophy. Self-effacing Barcelona midfielder Bonmatí—another World Cup champion with Spain—followed Alexia Putellas in collecting the women’s prize, first introduced five years ago.
The occasion, decorated by record-breaking youngsters and midfield magicians, from goalscoring phenomenon Haaland to all-rounder and Kopa winner Jude Bellingham, is the standard-bearer when assessing soccer’s Kings and Queens. But just how much value should the Ballon d’Or carry?
Providing the brains in Spain’s midfield, Bonmatí helped her team win the Women’s World Cup.
One salient Ballon d’Or feature is tradition. Since its first edition in 1956, it has only merged with the international soccer body FIFA for five years—between 2010 and 2015—and belongs exclusively to serial organizer France Football magazine. Judged by journalists, as opposed to various soccer personnel in The Best FIFA Football Awards (perhaps an institutional response to the Ballon d’Or), it carries its unique style despite having an official quality as the authoritative judgment on the world’s most popular sport.
There is room for debate, however. While the ceremony recognizes team achievements and accommodates the best young player (Kopa Trophy) and the best goalkeeper (Yashin Trophy), its primary honors end in familiar hands each time. Undoubtedly, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been regular and worthy winners over the last decade and a half. Yet the last defensive player to leave the auditorium victorious was the former Italy captain and center-back Fabio Cannavaro 17 years ago.
As such, and given how polarizing the soccer debate can be, there will always be reservations over how accurate the final picture is. In a sense, with the Ballon d’Or covering not only a competitive but an entertainment business, its natural leaning towards the great artists rather than generally less glamorous defenders is inevitable. Even in an era of soccer statistics, assessing the top performers’ value by cold metrics is a tricky and futile business, especially when you compare players in different areas on the field. Who should win is anyone’s guess.
Cannavaro retired from playing in 2011 before going into coaching.
Then there are other gray areas, such as whether the best stars are still worthy winners after an average year. And whether some achievements offer a one-sided reality. Before the recent announcement, a pro-Messi Eden Hazard argued, “It wouldn’t be logical not to give the Ballon d’Or to the best player in history the year he won the World Cup.” True, except that night in Qatar, his opponent Mbappé became only the second player to score a hat-trick in the global finale, stealing the Golden Boot in the act. He also staked a strong claim for the prize.
If the calls weren’t tough already, they will get tougher soon. From the 2023 shortlist, previous champ Benzema was the only contender active outside Europe. And with the mass soccer talent migration to monied clubs in Saudi Arabia poised to spike again in January, the scene will be very different in 2024. It’s hard to confidently predict that Benzema—in a less-established but fast-growing league—will rejoin the running next year or if a fit and firing Mohamed Salah can do the same if he leaves Liverpool for the Middle East. Will Europe still be home to the most impressive names around?
In the here and now, the Ballon d’Or’s latest results will unite and divide opinions. Further down the standings, many Spanish soccer experts will argue Antoine Griezmann—now a complete player in Madrid—should have made the top 20. Or that Rúben Dias, integral to Manchester City’s historic treble win, deserved better than coming in at number 30. And so on.
Regardless, few will begrudge Messi, Bonmatí, and company their gold after a stellar period for their clubs and national teams. The finer details will keep stirring debate, however. In the end, maybe that’s where the competition’s appreciation lies, although the Ballon d’Or’s real value comes down to how well it can value characters in a complex game.
