The 67th Ballon d’Or ceremony finally unveiled its winners at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris, France, on Monday night, and the outcome was nothing short of sensational. Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi claimed the highest honor, securing his eighth Ballon d’Or victory. Notably, Nigerian footballer Victor Osimhen also made it into the top 10.
The Argentine, who had triumphed at the 2022 World Cup, was designated the best, overshadowing competitors such as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, who respectively clinched the second and third spots.
France Football revealed the complete ranking at the end of the event. In this prestigious list of the world’s finest footballers, the fourth place was awarded to Kevin De Bruyne, closely followed by his Manchester City teammate, Rodri, in fifth place. Vinicius Junior, the recipient of the prestigious Socrates Award, secured the sixth spot, while dynamic Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen of Napoli impressed by securing the eighth place. The top 10 list was rounded off by Bernardo Silva in ninth and Luka Modric in tenth.
Here’s the ranking of the top 10:
1. Lionel Messi
2. Erling Haaland
3. Kylian Mbappé
4. Kevin De Bruyne
5. Rodri
6. Vinicius Jr
7. Julian Alvarez
8. Victor Osimhen
9. Bernardo Silva
10. Luka Modric
Full ranking list:
The Female Ballon d’Or was clinched by the Spanish World Cup champion, Aitana Bonmati. Crowned as the best player in the UEFA and the most recent Women’s World Cup, the 25-year-old athlete follows in the footsteps of Alexia Putellas, who had won the two preceding editions in 2021 and 2022.