The 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony honoured the best footballers playing in Europe across the 2022/23 season.
In the men's main award, Lionel Messi went head-to-head with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe. As he now plays for MLS side Inter Miami, Messi is unlikely to win the award again unless he returns to European football.
In the women's award, Alexia Putellas' reign had to come to an end as injury meant her involvement last season for club and country was limited. Her Barcelona teammate, Aitana Bonmati, was the favourite to win after starring for Barca and Spain.
There were also trophies to hand out for the best Under-21 men's player, the best men's goalkeeper, the most prolific striker, and prizes honouring the best club sides in the continent.
The Sporting News runs through who emerged victorious at the 2023 Ballon d'Or gala at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, across not just the most coveted prize, but the other awards given out that evening as well.
MORE: Who was the last Premier League player to win the Ballon d'Or?
Who won the last Ballon d'Or in 2023?
Lionel Messi won a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or as he was rewarded for his vital role in Argentina's World Cup triumph and lifting the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain.
He beat Manchester City's Erling Haaland, who finished second despite winning the treble and breaking all sorts of records, including the most goals in a Premier League season by any player.
Kylian Mbappe placed third after he became only the second man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final and the first since 1966.
Messi carried his national side in Qatar with seven goals and three assists in his seven World Cup appearances. He was one of only three Argentina players to play every single minute of their campaign.
Jude Bellingham claimed the Trophee Kopa for the best Under-21 player in the world. The Englishman also shared his views on Messi's win: "It's a World Cup year and Lionel Messi had a fantastic World Cup. He deserves to win the Ballon d'Or."
Aitana Bonmati won the Ballon d'Or Feminin, becoming the fourth different winner of the prize since its inception in 2018.
Ballon d'Or 2023 final results for men's award
Final Ballon d'Or rankings
| Rank | Player | Nationality | Club |
| 1. | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Inter Miami |
| 2. | Erling Haaland | Norway | Manchester City |
| 3. | Kylian Mbappe | France | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 4. | Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | Manchester City |
| 5. | Rodri | Spain | Manchester City |
| 6. | Vinicius Junior | Brazil | Real Madrid |
| 7. | Julian Alvarez | Argentina | Manchester City |
| 8. | Victor Osimhen | Nigeria | Napoli |
| 9. | Bernardo Silva | Portugal | Manchester City |
| 10. | Luka Modric | Croatia | Real Madrid |
| 11. | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool |
| 12. | Robert Lewandowski | Poland | Barcelona |
| 13. | Yassine Bounou | Morocco | Sevilla |
| 14. | Ilkay Gundogan | Germany | Man City/Barcelona |
| 15. | Emiliano Martinez | Argentina | Aston Villa |
| 16. | Karim Benzema | France | Real Madrid |
| 17. | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Georgia | Napoli |
| 18. | Jude Bellingham | England | Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid |
| 19. | Harry Kane | England | Tottenham/Bayern Munich |
| 20. | Lautaro Martinez | Argentina | Inter Milan |
| 21. | Antoine Griezmann | France | Atletico Madrid |
| 22. | Kim Min-Jae | South Korea | Napoli/Bayern Munich |
| 23. | Andre Onana | Cameroon | Man United |
| 24. | Bukayo Saka | England | Arsenal |
| 25. | Josko Gvardiol | Croatia | RB Leipzig/Man City |
| 26. | Jamal Musiala | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 27. | Nicolo Barella | Italy | Inter Milan |
| T-28. | Randal Kolo Muani | France | Eintracht Frankfurt/PSG |
| T-28. | Martin Odegaard | Norway | Arsenal |
| 30. | Ruben Dias | Portugal | Man City |
List of men's Ballon d'Or winners
The first Ballon d'Or was awarded in 1956 to Blackpool legend Stanley Matthews, one of the greats of the English game.
Dutch giant Johan Cruyff became the first player to win it three times in the 1970s. French star Michel Platini won it three times in a row — the first to achieve that feat — in the 80s.
Messi and Ronaldo dominated from 2008-2017, with only Luka Modric capable of stopping that run in 2018.
Messi then won the 2021 Ballon d'Or, beating out Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho by a narrow margin for his seventh trophy before lifting his eighth in 2023.
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews | Blackpool |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Real Madrid |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa | Real Madrid |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Real Madrid |
| 1960 | Luis Suarez | Barcelona |
| 1961 | Omar Sivori | Juventus |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust | Dukla Prague |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin | Dynamo Moscow |
| 1964 | Denis Law | Manchester United |
| 1965 | Eusebio | Benfica |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton | Manchester United |
| 1967 | Florian Albert | Ferencvaros |
| 1968 | George Best | Manchester United |
| 1969 | Gianni Rivera | AC Milan |
| 1970 | Gerd Muller | Bayern Munich |
| 1971 | Johann Cruyff | Ajax |
| 1972 | Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich |
| 1973 | Johann Cruyff | Barcelona |
| 1974 | Johann Cruyff | Barcelona |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich |
| 1977 | Allan Simonsen | Gladbach |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan | Hamburg |
| 1979 | Kevin Keegan | Hamburg |
| 1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Bayern Munich |
| 1981 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Bayern Munich |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Juventus |
| 1983 | Michel Platini | Juventus |
| 1984 | Michel Platini | Juventus |
| 1985 | Michel Platini | Juventus |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit | AC Milan |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten | AC Milan |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten | AC Milan |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthaus | Inter Milan |
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin | Marseille |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten | AC Milan |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio | Juventus |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Barcelona |
| 1995 | George Weah | AC Milan |
| 1996 | Mathias Sammer | Borussia Dortmund |
| 1997 | Ronaldo | Inter Milan |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane | Juventus |
| 1999 | Rivaldo | Barcelona |
| 2000 | Luis Figo | Real Madrid |
| 2001 | Michael Owen | Liverpool |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedved | Juventus |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko | AC Milan |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho | Barcelona |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro | Real Madrid |
| 2007 | Kaka | AC Milan |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2010 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2018 | Luka Modric | Real Madrid |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi | PSG |
| 2022 | Karim Benzema | Real Madrid |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami |
List of Ballon d'Or Feminin winners
The women's Ballon d'Or has been awarded since 2018 with the 2020 event cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ballon d'Or Feminin
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Ada Hegerberg | Lyon |
| 2019 | Megan Rapinoe | OL Reign |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2021 | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona |
| 2022 | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona |
| 2023 | Aitana Bonmati | Barcelona |
Who won the Gerd Muller trophy?
Erling Haaland lifted the Gerd Muller Trophy for his remarkable debut season at Manchester City and his performances with Norway.
The prestigious accolade is named after legendary striker Gerd Muller and is presented to the top striker of the previous European season, both in club and international competitions. Haaland is only the second player to win it, following Robert Lewandowski in 2021 and 2022.
Haaland with his Gerd Muller Trophy! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/PmZ0ZqMUwg
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@ballondor) October 30, 2023
Haaland had a phenomenal first season, breaking records with 52 goals in all competitions. He set a new Premier League record with 36 goals, including six hat-tricks, and was the Champions League's top scorer with 12 goals, helping City secure their first European trophy.
Who won the Yashin trophy for best goalkeeper?
Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa won the Yashin Trophy for his instrumental role in guiding Argentina to World Cup victory.
In a touching moment, his father made a surprise appearance to present him with the award.
He was in fact booed on stage by some French fans due to his previous taunting of Kylian Mbappe following the World Cup final. Award host Didier Drogba had to intervene and urged the audience to show respect during Martinez's presentation.
Who won the Kopa Trophy for world's best young player?
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy for the world's best player under-21.
JUDE BELLINGHAM IS THE 2023 KOPA TROPHY! #TrophéeKopa #ballondor pic.twitter.com/JuEvgY1WAO
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@ballondor) October 30, 2023
Bellingham's 14 goals in 42 matches for Borussia Dortmund last season helped him clinch this award and he also played a key role in England's World Cup journey.
The 20-year-old beat out other notable nominees, including Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala and former winners like Gavi and Pedri from Barcelona, along with Real Madrid teammate Eduardo Camavinga.
Who won the Socrates Award?
Vinicius Junior won this award as he received recognition for his foundation, the Vini Jr Institute, which uses technology to provide education to disadvantaged children in Brazil.
.@vinijr after winning the Socrates Award! #prixsocrates with @peaceandsport / #ballondor pic.twitter.com/UakgEeirhP
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@ballondor) October 30, 2023
In 2022, he allocated €335,000 to the foundation, a figure that increased to over €1 million in 2023, and is set to reach €2.5 million in 2024.
Co-host of the awards night Didier Drogba emphasised that the award doesn't solely honour his community efforts but also his campaign against racism.