The competition for the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/ballon-dor-all-time-winners-20211128-0010.html" target="_blank">2023 Ballon d'Or</a> is heating up as the football season draws to a conclusion.&nbsp;For this year's&nbsp;<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/ballon-d%27or" target="_blank">Ballon d'Or</a>, the eligibility period has been extended to include the typical European league season, which runs from August 2022 to July 2023. 
This covers the 2022&nbsp;World Cup held&nbsp;in Qatar where&nbsp;<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/argentina" target="_blank">Argentina</a> prevailed. <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> captained the squad&nbsp;and finally brought home the trophy he had&nbsp;yearned for his whole life. Undoubtedly a candidate for football's romantics, but he makes an almost irrefutable case for the Ballon d'Or. 
The voters' determination will be tested, though, as <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/manchester-city" target="_blank">Manchester City</a>'s beast&nbsp;<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/erling-haaland" target="_blank">Erling Haaland</a>&nbsp;keeps scoring goals during a fantastic season. This might lead to a conflict and spark&nbsp;a war of significance between national team glory and club success. 
<h2>Could Lionel Messi's ban from PSG affect his&nbsp;2023 Ballon d'Or chances?</h2> 
The Argentine may have won Qatar 2022, but his play in the second half of the season has put his chances of winning an eighth Ballon&nbsp;d'Or award in jeopardy. On Tuesday, one of these world-class footballers will be competing in the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/champions-league" target="_blank">UEFA Champions League</a>&nbsp;Semi-Finals, while the other will be sitting at home in France and watching the game on television. 
They are two of the most deserving candidates for the Ballon d'Or this year: Haaland and Messi. It wasn't meant to be a contest until recently, however. The 35-year-old <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/psg-t16721" target="_blank">PSG</a> superstar&nbsp;had an impressive first half of the season, and then he capped off his career by winning the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/qatar-2022" target="_blank">World Cup</a>, the pinnacle of individual performance.&nbsp; 
While it's true that Haaland was lighting up the Premier League with his scoring, the fact that&nbsp;Norway had failed to qualify for the international tournament&nbsp;made it seem like an unfair contest.&nbsp;However, it is no longer the case. After the&nbsp;World Cup, the Argentine's season has been marred by constant <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/Kylian-Mbappe-and-Lionel-Messi-booed-by-PSG-fans-against-Lorient-20230430-0016.html" target="_blank">boos from club&nbsp;ultras</a>, non-stop <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/Its-not-Barcelona-Messi-to-pick-between-two-destinations-after-decision-to-leave-PSG-20230503-0018.html" target="_blank">transfer rumors</a>,&nbsp;and&nbsp;a recent <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/Lionel-Messi-breaks-silence-on-PSG-suspension--20230505-0009.html" target="_blank">two-week suspension</a> by his own club as a result of an unauthorized visit to Saudi Arabia. 
 
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While this was happening, the Norwegian ace has&nbsp;become&nbsp;the razor's edge of a potential treble-winning squad.&nbsp;As a result, this year's Ballon d'Or competition has erupted into a heated discussion. And right now, Haaland has a good chance of taking it, especially if he helps Manchester City win their first&nbsp;Champions League trophy ever.

2023 Ballon d'Or: What does Lionel Messi's PSG suspension mean for Erling Haaland?

miniaturas

The events of the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/champions-league" target="_blank">UEFA Champions League</a> Knockout Stages have only added fuel to the fire in the battle for the Golden Ball. Some of the top players in the world, including <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/karim-benzema" target="_blank">Karim Benzema</a>'s successors, are in the last stages of their campaigns to win the 2023 <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/ballon-d%27or" target="_blank">Ballon d'Or</a> in Paris. 
With Qatar 2022 happening in the midst of the ongoing season, the competition for the Ballon d'Or has been shaping up to be unlike any other. Thus, it comes&nbsp;as little surprise that <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> has swept all 2022 accolades, including the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/qatar-2022" target="_blank">World Cup</a>, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/How-many-individual-awards-does-Lionel-Messi-have-List-by-years-and-age-20230227-0008.html" target="_blank">the World Cup Golden Ball</a>, and FIFA's The Best title. 
It shouldn't come as a shock if he ends up as the next Ballon d'Or frontrunner.&nbsp;There's no denying that his&nbsp;prospects of winning the Golden Ball have been bolstered by their performances in Qatar, even if the final stages of the&nbsp;Champions League&nbsp;have begun. 
<h2>Who will win&nbsp;the 2023&nbsp;Ballon d'Or&nbsp;according to Wayne Rooney?</h2> 
For the 2023 Ballon d'Or, Manchester United legend <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/wayne-rooney" target="_blank">Wayne Rooney</a> backs Manchester City's <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/erling-haaland" target="_blank">Erling Haaland</a>&nbsp;to beat out both Lionel Messi and his PSG teammate&nbsp;and Qatar 2022 Final opponent, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/kylian-mbappe" target="_blank">Kylian Mbappe</a>. Even while many people have the Argentine pegged as the favorite to win a <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-ballon-dor-list-by-years-and-age-20211128-0011.html" target="_blank">record-extending eighth award</a>,&nbsp;the current DC United manager thinks Haaland is more deserving. 
"Erling Haaland is the best footballer in the world right now. Lionel Messi is the greatest but, at this moment, nobody is playing better than a striker who &mdash; even though I broke records in that position myself &mdash; takes my breath away with the levels he&rsquo;s reaching. He&rsquo;s the best in the world because of the numbers he&rsquo;s posting, the performances he&rsquo;s putting in and the mentality he shows", he opined in a piece for The Times. 
"If you&rsquo;re looking at who is going to win the Ballon d&rsquo;Or then it has got to be him, providing he keeps up his form of this season. And why wouldn&rsquo;t he? A record of 224 goals in 264 games is the mark of a player whose standards don&rsquo;t drop. We&rsquo;ve had the era of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, now this is his time, the era of Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. When there is a talent like him around you just have to enjoy it &mdash; even if he is wearing a Manchester City shirt. 
 
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"One of the things I like most about him is how different he is to nearly all modern players. Everyone wants the ball to feet these days but he wants to run off the ball in almost an old-fashioned way &mdash; run in behind and use his power to get clear, then his composure to beat the keeper. There&rsquo;s something raw about how he plays, his hunger to score is huge. Like Messi and Ronaldo did, he could dominate the game for ten years."

Neither Messi nor Mbappe: Champions League winner makes unsentimental 2023 Ballon d'Or prediction

There are simply no words to describe <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> anymore. At 35, the Argentine superstar had a fantastic performance in <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/qatar-2022" target="_blank">Qatar 2022</a> to take La Albiceleste&nbsp;back to the promised land, in one of the biggest feats in sports history. 
Unsurprisingly, Messi won every possible award since then, including the Golden Ball in the World Cup and <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/Which-players-and-coaches-didnt-vote-for-Lionel-Messi-at-The-Best-FIFA-2022-20230228-0010.html" target="_blank">The Best award by FIFA</a>. Therefore, it wouldn't be a surprise if he leads the race for the next Ballon d'Or. 
The prestigious accolade awarded by France Football no longer considers the calendar year but instead rewards the club season, so Messi's World Cup presence should be in consideration. According to reports, his biggest opponent would be neither Karim Benzema nor <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/kylian-mbappe" target="_blank">Kylian Mbappe</a>. 
<h2>Messi's possible competitor for 2023 Ballon d'Or</h2> 
According to Goal, Messi is the favorite to win the prize in August, followed by Erling Haaland of Manchester City. It isn't exactly a surprise, since the Norwegian can't stop finding the net in England. 
1 - Lionel Messi 2 - Erling Haaland 3 - Kylian Mbappé 4 - Vinicius Jr 5 - Karim Benzema 6 - Victor Osimhen 7 - Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 8 - Kevin De Bruyne 9 - Marcus Rashford 10 - Robert Lewandowski 11 - Casemiro 12 - Bruno Fernandes 13 - Bukayo Saka 14 - Nicol&ograve; Barella 15 - Julián Álvarez 
 
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Neither Benzema nor Mbappe: Who would challenge Messi for the next Ballon d'Or

<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/The-Best-FIFA-2022-Lionel-Messi-did-not-vote-for-Kylian-Mbappe-as-the-top-player-20230228-0008.html" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a>, the winner of a record seven <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/What-is-the-difference-between-The-Best-and-the-Ballon-dOr-20230227-0010.html" target="_blank">Ballon d'Ors</a>, was named <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/Karim-Benzema-trolls-Lionel-Messi-with-2022-achievements-amid-The-Best-Awards-20230301-0009.html" target="_blank">FIFA's The Best Men's Player</a> on Monday. Now for the second time in his career, he has been named "The Best" after defeating Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to take home the prized award. 
All FIFA captains, plus each national team's head coach and one media member, cast votes for the award. Everyone who votes must rank the candidates in order of preference. The Argentine scored 52 points, surpassing Mbappe (44) and Benzema (34). 
It's always fascinating to see the final tally of votes many hours later. On the other hand, the former captain of Equatorial Guinea has revealed a shocking fact about the voting procedure for such accolades. 
<h2>What happened with the Ballon d'Or votes in 2013?</h2> 
When interviewing with the Spanish sports network Gol Play, former Equatorial Guinea national team captain Juvenal Edjogo made a stunning revelation. Juvenal remarked in an interview that in <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/franck-ribery-reveals-who-should-have-won-2013-ballon-dor-20220708-0034.html" target="_blank">2013</a> when he cast his ballot for the Ballon d'Or, he selected Didier Drogba and Andres Iniesta, but when the results were revealed, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-ballon-dor-list-by-years-and-age-20211128-0011.html" target="_blank">Lionel Messi and </a><a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-ballon-dor-list-by-years-and-age-20211128-0011.html" target="_blank">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> appeared next to his name. 
"What little I can say about this type of award is that in 2013, I voted for my three players for the Ballon d&rsquo;Or, and I sent my votes, and at the end when it was made public, the list of who voted for who, my votes were different. 
"It said I voted for Messi, Cristiano, and I don&rsquo;t know who else, but I didn&rsquo;t vote for any of them.&nbsp;That&rsquo;s why I say, I don&rsquo;t believe in absolutely anything about those awards. Since then, I&rsquo;ve thought these awards have no value", he said. 
Ronaldo beat out Messi to win the award. Yet, the battle for first place was intense, and the last spot on the podium was decided by only one point. But Juvenal isn't the only one who thinks his 2013 Ballon d'Or vote was <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/Neither-Messi-nor-Lewandowski-Cristiano-Ronaldo-once-revealed-who-should-have-won-2021-Ballon-dOr-20230121-0014.html" target="_blank">tampered with</a>. A number of countries' coaches, including those from Bolivia, Albania, Equatorial Guinea, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Kuwait, and Vanuatu, all alleged the voting was fraudulent. 
 
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'These awards have no value': Ballon d'Or voting slammed after scandal including Messi and Ronaldo

He's done it again. At 35, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-ballon-dor-list-by-years-and-age-20211128-0011.html" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> has just added another accolade to his already brilliant résumé. Unsurprisingly, the Argentine superstar won <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/What-is-the-difference-between-The-Best-and-the-Ballon-dOr-20230227-0010.html" target="_blank">The Best award</a> from FIFA due to his fantastic level in 2022. 
Last year, Messi silenced all his doubters by leading Argentina to a long-awaited <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/qatar2022/Qatar-2022-Best-XI-of-this-years-FIFA-World-Cup-20221218-0028.html" target="_blank">World Cup</a> success in Qatar. In one of the greatest performances ever seen by any player in sports history, the PSG star did it all for his nation. Besides, he also turned up his level for <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/teams-who-have-never-won-champions-league-20201203-0001.html" target="_blank">Paris Saint-Germain</a> after a lackluster first year in the French capital.&nbsp; 
That's why Messi had the upper hand over Karim Benzema and <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/mbappe-psg-salary-how-much-does-he-make-per-hour-day-week-month-and-year-20220527-0009.html" target="_blank">Kylian Mbappe</a>, who were also on the shortlist. With this recent recognition, many wonder how many awards he has won so far. 
<h2>Lionel Messi wins The Best: List of individual awards by years and age</h2> 
Lionel Messi has seen both collective and individual success throughout his unbelievable career. He received his first Ballon d'Or award at only 22 years of age, and eventually set a&nbsp;record by winning it on six more occasions. 
Of course, his greatness earned him many other prizes. Lionel Messi has so far won 53 individual awards, including his latest The Best in 2022. These are all the accolades he picked up through the years. 
<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;"> 
 <tbody> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Award</td> 
 <td>Year</td> 
 <td>Messi's age at the time</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Golden Boy</td> 
 <td>2005</td> 
 <td>18</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>FIFA FIFPro</td> 
 <td>2006</td> 
 <td>19</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Bravo Award</td> 
 <td>2007</td> 
 <td>20</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP LaLiga</td> 
 <td>2008-09</td> 
 <td>21</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>UEFA Champions League Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2008-09</td> 
 <td>21</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Ballon d'Or</td> 
 <td>2009</td> 
 <td>22</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>FIFA World Player</td> 
 <td>2009</td> 
 <td>22</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>LaLiga Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2009-10</td> 
 <td>22</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>UEFA Champions League Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2009-10</td> 
 <td>22</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Onze d'Or</td> 
 <td>2009</td> 
 <td>22</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP LaLiga</td> 
 <td>2009-10</td> 
 <td>22</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>European Golden Shoe</td> 
 <td>2009-10</td> 
 <td>22</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Ballon d'Or</td> 
 <td>2010</td> 
 <td>23</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP LaLiga</td> 
 <td>2010-11</td> 
 <td>23</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>UEFA Champions League Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2010-11</td> 
 <td>23</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Men's Player of the Year</td> 
 <td>2010-11</td> 
 <td>23</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Ballon d'Or</td> 
 <td>2011</td> 
 <td>24</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Onze d'Or</td> 
 <td>2011</td> 
 <td>24</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>European Golden Shoe</td> 
 <td>2011-12</td> 
 <td>24</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>LaLiga Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2011-12</td> 
 <td>24</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP LaLiga</td> 
 <td>2011-12</td> 
 <td>24</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>UEFA Champions League Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2011-12</td> 
 <td>24</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Ballon d'Or</td> 
 <td>2012</td> 
 <td>25</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>European Golden Shoe</td> 
 <td>2012-13</td> 
 <td>25</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>LaLiga Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2012-13</td> 
 <td>25</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP LaLiga</td> 
 <td>2012-13</td> 
 <td>25</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Onze d'Or</td> 
 <td>2012</td> 
 <td>25</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>World Cup Golden Ball</td> 
 <td>2014</td> 
 <td>27</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP LaLiga</td> 
 <td>2014-15</td> 
 <td>27</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>UEFA Champions League</td> 
 <td>2014-15</td> 
 <td>27</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Men's Player of the Year</td> 
 <td>2014-15</td> 
 <td>27</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Ballon d'Or</td> 
 <td>2015</td> 
 <td>28</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP Copa America</td> 
 <td>2015</td> 
 <td>28</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>European Golden Shoe</td> 
 <td>2016-17</td> 
 <td>29</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>LaLiga Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2016-17</td> 
 <td>29</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP LaLiga</td> 
 <td>2016-17</td> 
 <td>29</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>European Golden Shoe</td> 
 <td>2017-18</td> 
 <td>30</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>LaLiga Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2017-18</td> 
 <td>30</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP LaLiga Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2017-18</td> 
 <td>30</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Onze d'Or</td> 
 <td>2018</td> 
 <td>31</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>European Golden Shoe</td> 
 <td>2018-19</td> 
 <td>31</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>LaLiga Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2018-19</td> 
 <td>31</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP LaLiga</td> 
 <td>2018-19</td> 
 <td>31</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>UEFA Champions League Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2018-19</td> 
 <td>31</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Ballon d'Or</td> 
 <td>2019</td> 
 <td>32</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>The Best Award</td> 
 <td>2019</td> 
 <td>32</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Laureus World Sports Awards</td> 
 <td>2019</td> 
 <td>32</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>LaLiga Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2019-20</td> 
 <td>32</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>LaLiga Top Scorer</td> 
 <td>2020-21</td> 
 <td>33</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>Ballon d'Or</td> 
 <td>2021</td> 
 <td>34</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>MVP Copa America</td> 
 <td>2021</td> 
 <td>34</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>World Cup Golden Ball</td> 
 <td>2022</td> 
 <td>35</td> 
 </tr> 
 <tr> 
 <td>The Best Award</td> 
 <td>2022</td> 
 <td>35</td> 
 </tr> 
 </tbody> 
</table> 
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How many individual awards does Lionel Messi have? List by years and age

While the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/qatar2022/Qatar-2022-Best-XI-of-this-years-FIFA-World-Cup-20221218-0028.html" target="_blank">FIFA World Cup</a> and the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/champions-league-winners-list-by-year-20220526-0035.html" target="_blank">UEFA Champions League</a> are the most prestigious team titles in soccer, the Ballon d'Or and <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/Watch-The-Best-Awards-2023-online-TV-Channel-and-Live-Streaming-20230226-0031.html" target="_blank">The Best</a> are the most significant&nbsp;accolades for individual performances. 
That's why we've seen <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/2021-ballon-dor-robert-lewandowski-clarifies-his-comments-on-lionel-messi-20211207-0012.html" target="_blank">Robert Lewandowski get so upset</a> about being snubbed for <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-ballon-dor-list-by-years-and-age-20211128-0011.html" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> in the past, for instance. Apart from winning club trophies, players want to be recognized as the world's best. 
The Best and the Ballon d'Or&nbsp;have a similar&nbsp;goal, which is to distinguish who's the greatest soccer player on Earth. But of course, there's a reason why these awards are actually different. 
<h2>The difference between The Best and the Ballon d'Or</h2> 
First of all, the main&nbsp;difference is that The Best is presented by FIFA, while France Football is in control of the Ballon d'Or. Besides,&nbsp;the governing body rewards the best player of the calendar year, whereas from 2021-22,&nbsp;the French news magazine considers the&nbsp;club season. 
<div style="text-align:center"> 
 <figure class="image" style="display:inline-block"> 
 <img data-height="413" data-width="740" data-size="w:740,h:413" hspace="5" vspace="5" src="/__export/1677511970753/sites/bolavip/img/2023/02/27/benzema_ballon_2022.jpg_22993414.jpg" width="740" height="413"> 
 <figcaption>
 Karim Benzema won France Football's Ballon d'Or award in the 2021-22 season. (Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images) 
 </figcaption> 
 </figure> 
</div> 
They also have a different voting&nbsp;system. The Best has two phases: first, a panel of experts chooses the 10 nominees per award. In the second phase, journalists, fans, national team managers and captains all have a 25% of weight on the final results. On the other hand, the magazine makes the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or. Later, a journalist from each country ranks five players. 
<h2>The merger between FIFA and the Ballon d'Or</h2> 
The Ballon d'Or has been the most prestigious individual award in soccer since its foundation in 1956. After a long time, the governing body decided to have its own award and therefore created the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1991. In 2010, however, FIFA and France Football teamed up to merge the two prizes, creating the FIFA Ballon d'Or. The partnership lasted six years, which is why FIFA created The Best in 2016 to once again have its own award.&nbsp; 
 
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What is the difference between The Best and the Ballon d'Or?

At the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/ballon-dor-2022-prize-money-how-much-is-a-player-paid-for-winning-the-award-20221016-0018.html" target="_blank">2022 Ballon d'Or</a> edition, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/erik-ten-hag-demands-termination-of-ronaldos-contract-at-manchesterunited-20221021-0021.html" target="_blank">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> placed 20th, tied for his worst placing in the competition.&nbsp;The veteran forward garnered zero votes, but still came in&nbsp;ahead of players like Harry Kane (21st), Bernardo Silva (22nd), and Joshua Kimmich (25th). Thus, he has&nbsp;matched his lowest position since 2005 when he tied with Liverpool's Jamie Carragher for 20th place. 
In his comeback season with <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/manchester-united-cristiano-ronaldo-severely-punished-by-erik-ten-hag-20221020-0019.html" target="_blank">Manchester United</a>, the five-time winner of the award scored 24 goals across all competitions but couldn't lead the club to any trophies.&nbsp;The Red Devils thus ended in sixth place in the Premier League with their fewest points ever, with CR7 and the rest of the team under intense scrutiny at various stages. 
Even though he scored his 700th career club goal against Everton, the 37-year-old has struggled to get off the mark this season, scoring only two in all competitions.&nbsp;Adding insult to injury, he was <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/why-was-ronaldo-not-called-up-for-manchester-united-vs-chelsea-20221021-0025.html" target="_blank">punished&nbsp;by manager Erik ten Hag</a> after refusing&nbsp;to participate as a substitute in the 2-0 victory over Tottenham at Old Trafford on Wednesday and so missed Saturday's 1-1&nbsp;draw&nbsp;with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 
<h2>Why&nbsp;Cristiano Ronaldo ended 20th on&nbsp;Ballon d'Or 2022 rankings with no votes</h2> 
The <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/ballon-dor-2022-trophy-weight-size-material-and-value-20221016-0003.html" target="_blank">jury for the Ballon d'Or</a> did not award Cristiano Ronaldo any points. However, surprisingly, the Portugal captain&nbsp;only placed 20th out of 30 players. 
France Football has made public a comprehensive breakdown of the voting procedure, which supports this theory.&nbsp;Recently, it came to light that the only reason he was given that position was because of previous nominations. 
The 37-year-old received exactly zero votes from the panel of experts, making him one of 11 players to do so.&nbsp;Other notable players who didn't get any votes include <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/premier-league-highest-paid-players-2020-2021-20201126-0014.html" target="_blank">Harry Kane</a>, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, Joshua Kimmich, Mike Maignan, Christopher Nkunku,&nbsp;<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/darwin-nunez-liverpool-salary-per-hour-day-week-month-and-year-20220615-0050.html" target="_blank">Darwin Nunez</a>, and Antonio Rudiger. 
For Ronaldo, who last won the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/ballon-dor-all-time-winners-20211128-0010.html" target="_blank">Ballon d'Or in 2017</a>, finishing in this position in the race for soccer's most coveted individual accolade is not a great look.&nbsp;After finishing in the sixth position the year before, this nomination keeps him in the running for the prize despite the fact that his competitor <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-ballon-dor-list-by-years-and-age-20211128-0011.html" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> was not even included in the final three. 
 
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The reason why Cristiano Ronaldo finished 20th on 2022 Ballon d'Or list despite receiving no votes

<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-psg-salary-how-much-does-he-make-per-hour-day-week-month-and-year-20210813-0022.html" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a>'s first season with <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/teams-who-have-never-won-champions-league-20201203-0001.html" target="_blank">Paris Saint-Germain</a> didn't go according to plan, with the Argentine superstar struggling to settle in the Ligue 1 side&nbsp;throughout the 2021-22 campaign. Therefore, he was not even considered for the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/Karim-Benzema-wins-the-2022-Ballon-dOr-20221017-0002.html" target="_blank">2022 Ballon d'Or</a> ceremony. 
The prestigious award given by France Football has changed its criteria for this edition, taking into account the club season rather than the calendar year. Consequently, Messi was not even part of the 30-player shortlist. 
Of course, such a decision sparked controversy as we're talking about one of the world's best&nbsp;and also winningest Ballon d'Or player. The news may have not sit well with Messi at first, but&nbsp;not winning this year&nbsp;could end up being&nbsp;better for him and <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/qatar-2022-neither-messis-argentina-nor-ronaldos-portugal-google-predicts-world-cup-final-20220926-0017.html" target="_blank">Argentina</a>. 
<h2>Lionel Messi avoids Ballon d'Or 'curse' ahead of Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup</h2> 
Unsurprisingly, Karim Benzema emerged victorious in the 2022 Ballon d'Or gala following a fantastic season in which he helped Real Madrid win the LaLiga and UEFA Champions League titles. But there's a fact that could worry the French community. 
As&nbsp;stats expert MisterChip noted on Twitter, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner has never won the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/fifa-world-cup-30-amazing-records-and-stats-to-keep-in-mind-for-qatar-2022-q22-20220908-0001.html" target="_blank">FIFA World Cup</a>. Benzema&nbsp;heads into Qatar 2022 aiming to help France secure consecutive titles, but he would need to break the 'curse' to make it happen. 
On the other hand, this only fuels Argentina's <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-on-argentina-prior-to-world-cup-other-teams-are-above-us-20221006-0019.html" target="_blank">World Cup aspirations</a>. La Albiceleste arrive at the competition in high spirits, having won the&nbsp;Copa America last year and punching a ticket to Qatar without losing a single game.&nbsp; 
Messi has recently revealed this will surely be the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-confirms-he-will-not-play-the-2026-fifa-world-cup--20221006-0014.html" target="_blank">last World Cup</a> in his career. It won't be easy, but the expectations around Argentina are through the roof. Will he finally win the elusive title in Qatar? 
 
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Ballon d'Or 2022: Lionel Messi may have avoided a 'curse' before the World Cup

Everything is ready for the long awaited ceremony of the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/ballon-dor-2022-lewandowski-admits-benzema-is-favorite-but-theres-a-catch-20221013-0020.html" target="_blank">2022 Ballon d'Or</a>. This award to the best player in the world is presented annually by the prestigious French magazine,&nbsp;<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/ballon-dor-2022-strong-candidate-admits-karim-benzema-deserves-it-more-20221005-0024.html" target="_blank">'France Football'</a>.&nbsp;The 66th edition represents a historic moment for the sport and will take place today, October 17 at 2:30 PM (ET). The spectacular venue&nbsp;for the event is the&nbsp;Thé&acirc;tre du Ch&acirc;telet in Paris, France. Here you can find all the details to watch or live stream the gala. In the US, you can enjoy the broadcast on <a href="https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/3119684/1204302/3065" rel="sponsored, nofollow" target="_blank">Paramount+ (7-day free trial)</a>. 
The 2022 Ballon d'Or will crown a new monarch. After <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/qatar-2022-is-lionel-messi-at-risk-of-missing-world-cup-20221015-0018.html" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> won the award last year, there seems to be a clear front-runner to reclaim the trophy at home. Since 1998 with Zinedine Zidane, a French player has never won the Golden Ball, but, most certainly, that's about to change. <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/karim-benzema-real-madrid-salary-how-much-does-he-earn-per-hour-day-week-month-and-year-20221009-0030.html" target="_blank">Karim Benzema</a> had a spectacular season as Real Madrid's leader to win the 2021-2022 Champions League and the 2021-2022 La Liga. Only a tremendous surprise could take away the prize from his hands.&nbsp; 
Although Karim Benzema is the favorite, there are other names in the radar such as Thibaut Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/report-florentino-perez-has-come-to-terms-on-whether-real-madrid-will-sign-kylian-mbappe-20221014-0014.html" target="_blank">Kylian Mbappé</a>, Vinicius Jr&nbsp;and Sadio Mané. For the first time in almost a decade, Lionel Messi and <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/cristiano-ronaldo-manchester-united-salary-how-much-does-he-make-per-hour-day-week-month-and-year-20210830-0024.html" target="_blank">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> are out of the race.&nbsp; 
<h2>How and where to watch or live stream the 2022 Ballon d'Or ceremony?</h2> 
The broadcast of the&nbsp;2022 Ballon d'Or ceremony will be available for the US on <a href="https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/3119684/1204302/3065" rel="sponsored, nofollow" target="_blank">Paramount+ (7-day free trial)</a>. Another option in the United States and every other country in the world is the YouTube channel and official website of prestigious L'Equipe.&nbsp; 
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