Argentina national team manager Lionel Scaloni has singled out Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi as the current frontrunner for the 2023 Ballon d’Or award.
Messi is among the serious contenders for the 2023 Ballon d’Or. He bolstered his resume for the honor at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he led the Argentina national team to its third world title. The PSG star recorded 10 goal contributions at the tournament, and he became the first player ever to score at least one goal in each of the four rounds of a single World Cup knockout stage.
If it were up to Scaloni, he would award Messi with this year’s Ballon d’Or honor.
“We still have time to see the Ballon d’Or,” Scaloni said during the post-FIFA World Cup 2022 Coaches Forum. “I would definitely give it to Messi.
“We’ll see who gets it.”
Messi could soon bolster his resume for the honor, as PSG is on the doorstep of winning this season’s Ligue 1 title. PSG currently holds a six-point lead over second-place side RC Lens atop the Ligue 1 standings.
Overall, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has recorded 30 goal contributions in Ligue 1 play so far this season.
