Inter Miami CF superstar Lionel Messi is one step closer to an eighth Ballon d'Or award.
The Argentine forward was part of the 30-player shortlist announced Wednesday in advance of the prestigious award being granted Oct. 30 in Paris. The annual award will recognize the world's best male soccer player in the 2022–23 season – potentially making Messi the first active MLS winner.
Messi, whose world-record seven Ballon d'Or awards are two more than his closest competitor (Cristiano Ronaldo; five), won a much-coveted World Cup title last December with La Albiceleste. He then formally signed with Inter Miami in mid-July after two years at French side Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi has been sensational since joining Inter Miami midsummer alongside ex-FC Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. He has 11g/8a in 11 games across all competitions, already helping secure the Herons' first-ever trophy (2023 Leagues Cup) and booking a 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup spot. They're also hosting the US Open Cup Final on Sept. 27 vs. Houston Dynamo FC and pursuing a climb into the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Lionel Messi: Ballon d'Or history
Messi won six of his seven past Ballon d'Or awards with FC Barcelona. He has also been nominated for the Ballon d'Or a world-record 16 times.
- Winner (7): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021
- Second Place (5): 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
- Third Place (1): 2007
Full list of men's Ballon d'Or nominees
- Julián Álvarez - Manchester City/Argentina
- Nicolo Barella - Inter Milan/Italy
- Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid/England
- Karim Benzema - Al Ittihad/France
- Yassine Bounou - Al Hilal/Morocco
- Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City/Belgium
- Rúben Dias - Manchester City/Portugal
- Antoine Griezmann - Atletico Madrid/France
- Ilkay Gündogan - Barcelona/Germany
- Josko Gvardiol - Manchester City/Croatia
- Erling Haaland - Manchester City/Norway
- Vinícius Júnior - Real Madrid/Brazil
- Harry Kane - Bayern Munich/England
- Randal Kolo Muani - Paris Saint-Germain/France
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Napoli/Georgia
- Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona/Poland
- Emiliano Martínez - Aston Villa/Argentina
- Lautaro Martínez - Inter Milan/Argentina
- Kylian Mbappé - Paris Saint-Germain/France
- Lionel Messi - Inter Miami/Argentina
- Kim Min-Jae - Napoli/South Korea
- Luka Modric - Real Madrid/Croatia
- Jamal Musiala - Bayern Munich/Germany
- Martin Ødegaard - Arsenal/Norway
- André Onana - Manchester United/Cameroon
- Victor Osimhen - Napoli/Nigeria
- Rodri - Manchester City/Spain
- Mohamed Salah - Liverpool/Egypt
- Bukayo Saka - Arsenal/England
- Bernardo Silva - Manchester City/Portugal
