Messi wins 8th Ballon D'Or

...beats Haaland, Mbappe

Lionel Messi is expected to lift his eighth Ballon d'Or later this month after the winners for both the male and female awards for 2023 were leaked.

Messi, 36, achieved the crowning glory of his unparalleled career when he spectacularly led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last year. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain megastar then joined Inter Miami in July and immediately set MLS alight with a string of spellbinding performances.

After missing out on the 2022 award to Karim Benzema, Messi has reportedly been informed of his victory this time around ahead of the ceremony taking place in Paris on Monday, October 30. As for the female award, Catalan newspaper Sport add that Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati will be presented as the winner at the Chatelet Theater, having won the Women's World Cup with Spain after beating England in August's dramatic final.

Messi's imminent triumph will see the Ballon d'Or awarded to someone who plays outside of Europe for the first time in history and take him three clear of eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The 36-year-old faced fierce competition from Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and ex-PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe but is set to come out on top thanks to his heroics in Qatar.

Haaland won the Treble with City last season by scoring a phenomenal 52 goals in 53 games. Mbappe, meanwhile, memorably bagged a hat-trick in the World Cup final against Messi's Argentina and performed well during an underwhelming campaign for PSG.

Messi may be the most decorated footballer in history but maintains that he's never given the Ballon d'Or much "importance". The Argentine forward explained shortly after joining Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham: "I have said it many times, the Ballon d'Or is very important due to the recognition at the individual level, but I never gave it importance.

Messi tops list of most marketable athletes

Lionel Messi has topped a list of the world's top 50 most marketable athletes for the second time, according to new data analysis. 

The Inter Miami playmaker has had a riotous 2022-2023 after winning the World Cup in Qatar with Argentina in December. 

The 36-year-old inked a lucrative move from Paris Saint-Germain to MLS over the summer and his first start in Florida has earned him even greater exposure to a global audience. 

Messi is believed to be preparing to win a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or at the end of October, which will burnish his star further. 

As per Sports Pro Media, the former Barcelona icon's on-pitch success has translated to his marketability, as he tops the list just three years after coming first in 2020. 

Messi is one of just four footballers to round out the top ten, including USWNT star Megan Rapinoe, who retired in September. 

Her team-mate Alex Morgan sits third in the rankings, two places higher than her position in last year's list, and Kylian Mbappe, who moves up one place from 10th to ninth. 

Second to Messi is NBA superstar LeBron James, with seven-time NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo in fourth. 

US alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin is ranked sixth, followed by seven-time world champion Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton - the highest-ranked Briton - Simone Biles, and F1's newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen rounding out the top 10. 

Last year's winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, was nowhere to be seen on the heels of his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, slipping from the top spot to a suprising 27th year-on-year.  

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