Messi wins his 8th Ballon d'Or, beating Haaland-Mbappe

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or for a record eighth time on Monday night, fending off competition from Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and French striker Killian Mbappe after leading Argentina to the World Cup last year.

Messi, 36, becomes the first MLS-based player to claim the coveted prize, although the triumph comes largely on the back of his exploits with his country in Qatar. Former Manchester United player and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham handed his prize-signing Messi the award at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris

No player has won the Ballon d'Or more times than Messi, who first won it in 2009 and then again in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times, while Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten are all three-time winners.