Ballon d'Or: The Youngest Ever Winner Was From Barcelona, Not Lionel Messi

• Lionel Messi is not the youngest-ever Ballon d'Or winner
• The Argentine won the award for the first time at age 22 in 2009
• The Inter Miami star is set to win it for a record eighth time this year

The purported winner of the Ballon d'Or for 2023 has surfaced in the form of Inter Miami sensation, Lionel Messi.

Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have both been considered as formidable competitors to the Argentine maestro, especially given their stellar performances last season.

Notably, the Manchester City striker is in the spotlight for his remarkable achievement of scoring 52 goals on the path to clinching a treble with his club.

However, it appears that Messi is on the cusp of claiming the award due to his pivotal role in Argentina's World Cup victory in Qatar, per Spanish newspaper, Sport.

Erling Haaland confident of beating Messi to win the Ballon d'Or

Football

Should the Inter Miami star indeed triumph in the Ballon d'Or on October 30, he would do so at the age of 36, making him the second-oldest Ballon d'Or recipient in history.

This leads to the question: who was, in fact, the youngest player to ever clinch this prestigious accolade? Discover this and more.

Youngest Ballon d'Or winner

There's a common belief that Lionel Messi holds the record for the youngest-ever Ballon d'Or winner, having achieved this feat at the age of 22 in 2009.

But that is not the case. As reported by Goal, Ronaldo Nazario made history as the youngest-ever Ballon d'Or recipient, achieving this remarkable feat at the tender age of 21 years, five months, and three days.

In 1997, Il Fenomeno earned his inaugural Ballon d'Or award, an accolade he secured while being the focal point of an extraordinary Inter Milan squad.

Ronaldo's 6th Ballon d'Or 'stolen', claims Man United legend

Football

That same year, Inter Milan shattered the world transfer fee record by acquiring Ronaldo, marking him as the first player since Diego Maradona to break the world transfer record on two separate occasions.

At the youthful age of 23, Ronaldo had already netted more than 200 goals for both his club and national team. His incredible performances led to a transfer to the Galacticos of Real Madrid, where he clinched his second and ultimate Ballon d'Or award in 2002.

Regrettably, the ex-Corinthians star's playing career was marred by a string of injuries, ultimately cutting it short prematurely.

Contemplating the heights he could have scaled is truly staggering, but his legacy endures, and he is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest strikers in the history of the sport.

Ballon d'Or winner 'leaked' online

Sports Brief also previously reported on the winner of the 2023 Ballon d'Or award reportedly being leaked online, ahead of the gala event in Paris on October 30.

For the chance to be named the best in the world, 30 candidates were announced in September, with Messi, Haaland, and Mbappe the leading contenders.