The prestigious award was presented to him by David Beckham.
On October 30, the ceremony of awarding the most prestigious award of world soccer - "Golden Ball" was held in the Paris Châtelet Theater. There was no intrigue - the fact that its owner for the eighth time will be the captain of the Argentine national team Lionel Messi became known some time before the ceremony.
However, this season the main soccer prize Messi received not for the game at the club level - significant successes in the PSG last season, the Argentine did not achieve, and in the summer he moved to Inter Miami. The main reason for awarding Messi the "Golden Ball" was his performance for the national team at the World Cup-2022.
The Argentine national team became world champions, largely thanks to Messi. He scored seven goals at the mundial. This contribution was simply impossible not to note.
In the list of candidates for the Golden Ball this season, Messi was ahead of Erling Holand, Mbappe and De Bruyne.