Ballon d'Or: Ronaldo Maintains Unique Record Thanks to Messi’s Win Over Haaland

• Lionel Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or award was confirmed on Monday, October 30
• The Argentine is now miles ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of the accolade
• However, Ronaldo had a small win thanks to Erling Haaland missing out this year

Lionel Messi’s triumph in the Ballon d’Or department had an interesting implication for Cristiano Ronaldo, who was not even in the running to win the award.

The Argentine is officially miles ahead of every football player in history as he has now won eight Ballon d’Or, with his closest rival stuck on five since 2017.

Messi's closest rival in 2023, Erling Haaland narrowly missed out, coming in second despite an impressive 52 goals for Manchester City in his debut season.

The Norwegian had a genuine chance to win the Ballon d’Or this year, as his goals helped the English side win a famous European treble.

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Messi, in his post-victory speech, admitted Haaland was a close contender and predicted the striker would win the accolade in the near future.

"Very soon, they will also be winners of the Ballon d'Or. They are two extraordinary players,” Messi said of Kylian Mbappe and Haaland, as cited by EuroFoot.

"I shared two years in the same club as Kylian. I know his talent, his immense talent... Haaland also an extraordinary career," he added.

Haaland’s Ballon d’Or snub a win for CR7

The fact that Haaland missed out on the Ballon d’Or will likely leave Ronaldo smiling, as it retains a unique record held by the Portuguese superstar.

As it stands, the Al-Nassr captain remains the last Premier League player to have won the Ballon d’Or, with that feat coming 15 years ago - in 2008.

At the time, 23-year-old Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United and he had an astronomical season, winning the Premier League Golden Boot with 42 goals in 49 matches, helping the Red Devils secure a memorable league and European Cup double.

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Like in 2023, there was also a feeling the accolade should have gone to a different person, as Fernando Torres had also enjoyed a stellar campaign in the build-up to the 2008 awards, as cited by France24.com.

Ronaldo went on to win the Ballon d’Or four more times: in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. He was not in the running to win the award in 2023.

Messi refuses to answer GOAT question

Sports Brief also reported on the Argentine's diplomatic answer when asked whether he believed he was the best player in football history.

36-year-old Messi made some notable remarks after his win but strategically avoided the debate surrounding his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The pair have been pitted against each other for over a decade, with the Portuguese phenom winning the Ballon d’Or award five times.