Lionel Messi won a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023.
The Argentine phenom guided his nation to their third World Cup title, winning the Golden Ball after netting eight goals and laying on a further three assists.
Messi left Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami in the summer, calling time on a stellar European career.
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe finished just behind Messi after ruthless goalscoring campaigns. The latter pipped Messi to top goalscoring honours at the World Cup, scoring eight times in total, including a memorable hat-trick in the final.
The Frenchman also enjoyed a brilliant domestic season, racking up 50 goal contributions in his penultimate campaign at PSG.
For many, it was Haaland who had leading Ballon d'Or claims after making the move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City. The Norwegian hitman broke the record for the most goals in a single 20-game Premier League season, scoring an incredible 36 times in 33 league starts.
Manchester City dominated the rankings after their treble-winning campaign. Haaland was joined by Kevin De Bruyne, subsequent Ballon d'Or winner Rodri and Bernardo Silva in the top 10.
2023 Ballon d'Or rankings
- Lionel Messi
- Erling Haaland
- Kylian Mbappe
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Rodri
- Vinicius Junior
- Julian Alvarez
- Victor Osimhen
- Bernardo Silva
- Luka Modric
