Days away from the Ballon d'Or, the exclusive list that Messi could integrate

The Ballon d'Or, the prestigious award given by France Football magazine, will have a new awards ceremony and Lionel Messi could achieve an impressive record. The Argentine star is the top winner of the individual award and will compete with 29 other footballers for the award.

The ceremony will take place on Monday, October 30 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The official time has not yet been confirmed but it is speculated that the gala will begin at 3 p.m. Lionel Messi returns to the nominations, after his absence in the last edition, and has a great chance of winning the eighth Ballon d'Or of his career. The Argentine star won the highest individual award in world football in the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021.

The list of nominees to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or was revealed on Wednesday, September 6. The French magazine announced through its social networks: there will be 30 footballers who will star in the day. The French magazine's Ballon d'Or was created in 1956. However, last year it took a drastic turn, as a reform was imposed to make it "more readable." After rewarding players for their performance during a calendar year, the trophy now aligns with the sporting season calendar.

The record that Messi could obtain if he wins his eighth medal

Only 6 players have won the World Cup and then the Ballon d'Or in the history of football. They are: Bobby Charlton in England 1966, Paolo Rossi in Spain 1982, Lothar Matthäus in Italy 1990, Zinedine Zidane in France 1998, Ronaldo in Korea-Japan 2002 and Fabio Cannavaro in Germany 2006. And based on the Instagram account @vocesabiafutebol, Messi could become the seventh footballer in history to win this title and his eighth Ballon d'Or.