Paris Saint-Germain had three players, one former and two current, in the top 30 for the 2023 Ballon d’Or. Lionel Messi won his eighth award, with Kylian Mbappé finishing in third place and Randal Kolo Muani in 28th place.
Messi was the odds-on favorite to win the Ballon d’Or after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup late last year. He eventually lifted his eighth award on Monday in Paris at the Theatre du Chatelet.
Erling Haaland came in second, as he played a vital role in Manchester City winning the treble last season. Mbappé had an outside chance because of his statistics but lacked the hardware. After losing the FIFA World Cup to Argentina, it would’ve been hard for him to lift the honor.
“The Ballon d’Or celebrates the greatest players from around the world,” Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman and CEO of PSG, said. “We are very proud that two of our PSG 2022-23 players are on the podium, reflecting the genius of Leo and Kylian.
“We are also delighted to see our summer recruit Randal recognized, demonstrating the standards of excellence maintained at Paris Saint-Germain year after year.”
« Le Ballon d'Or célèbre les plus grands joueurs du monde entier. Nous sommes très fiers que deux de nos joueurs du PSG 2022-23 figurent sur le podium, reflétant le génie de Leo et de Kylian. Nous sommes également ravis de voir notre recrue estivale Randal reconnue, démontrant… pic.twitter.com/58g5mvL3rl
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) October 30, 2023
The other PSG player in the top 30 for the Ballon d’Or was Randal Kolo Muani. The Frenchman had an excellent 2022-23 season with Eintracht Frankfurt. He scored 23 goals and registered 17 assists in 46 appearances in all competitions.
It will be interesting to see if Mbappé can put together a 2023-24 season that sees him finally lift the trophy.
