Ballon d’Or: Lionel Messi Reacts After Beating Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe to 2023 Award

• Lionel Messi has thanked all the parties involved in his eighth Ballon d'Or win
• The Argentine skipper was handed the 2023 award on Monday night in Paris
• He beat the treble-winning Erling Haaland, who also had an outstanding year

Lionel Messi has sent out a moving message hours after winning yet another Ballon d'Or title. He bagged a record-extending eighth award at a colourful ceremony in Paris on October 30.

His triumph at the 2022 World Cup with Argentina helped him beat Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, with the former the main man in Manchester City's treble-winning campaign, while Mbappe was the beaten finalist in Qatar.

The 36-year-old has now taken to Instagram to thank the key pillars of his career that have seen him become one of the best players the world has ever seen.

"I only have words of gratitude for all the people around the world who supported me so much during my career and to whom I want to dedicate this award especially," he wrote on Instagram, translated to English.

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Messi snubs PSG in his message

The father of three conspicuously avoided mentioning his former club, Paris Saint-Germain in his gratitude message after leaving the club on a free transfer this summer. He instead sent out a word to his Argentina teammates.

"This is an award that I want to share with my fellow Argentina players, the technical body, the employees. Because without the World Cup we achieved together, it would have been impossible to win it."

The former Barcelona captain then reserved a thought for his family. His wife, Antonella Roccuzzo and their three sons were present at the Theatre du Chatelet on Monday night.

"I want to thank my family, who have always been on my side," he concluded.

What next for Messi?

It is the first time that Messi has won the Ballon d'Or with no match following in the next couple of days.

Following Inter Miami's failure to qualify for the Major League Soccer playoffs, his next match will be next month when Argentina continue their World Cup qualifiers campaign. They play Uruguay and Brazil.

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How much money do Ballon d'Or winners get?

Sports Brief has also reported that Messi and all the other previous Ballon d'Or winners don't get paid for winning the prestigious award.

It is one of the few trophies that does not include a monetary value, but its benefits are magnanimous as football's top individual prize.