Even though Europe’s top leagues are on a competitive hiatus, discussions about the 2023 Ballon d’Or never stop online.

The main contenders for the trophy, which will be presented in December, are Lionel Messi (world champion and championship winner with PSG) and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (top scorer of the 2022-2023 season and treble winner with City, Championship, FA Cup and League UEFA champions).

The camps have split and both have strong arguments to claim the trophy, a trophy that has also given us surprise winners.

Here is a list of the winners of the prestigious trophy from 2000 to 2022 by goals, assists and matches played.

In this top, we will not include the 2006 “golden ball” Fabio Cannavarro (defender), because due to the nature of the position, he could not score many goals or have a large number of decisive assists, and as you know, in 2020 “Golden m the trophy was not awarded due to the pandemic (although Robert Lewandowski would have won it)

The top looks like this:

22. Modrici, 2018 (5 goals, 9 assists in 55 matches)

21. Kaka, 2007 (22 goals, 13 assists in 58 games)

20. Figo, 2000 (18 goals, 21 assists in 60 games)

19. Shevchenko, 2004 (29 goals, 4 assists in 46 games)

18. Owen, 2001 (31 goals, 9 assists in 55 games)

17. Nedved, 2003 (16 goals, 13 assists in 53 games)

16. Ronaldinho, 2005 (25 goals, 22 assists in 61 games)

15. Ronaldo N., 2002 (18 goals, 4 assists in 27 games)

14. Messi, 2009 (43 goals, 22 assists in 70 games)

13. K. Ronaldo, 2008 (51 goals, 13 assists in 67 matches)

12. Messi, 2021 (49 goals, 19 assists in 68 matches)

11. Messi, 2010 (48 goals, 13 assists in 60 games)

10. Ronaldo, 2013 (62 goals, 16 assists in 66 matches)

9. Cristiano Ronaldo, 2017 (60 goals, 16 assists in 60 games)

8. Cristiano Ronaldo, 2016 (57 goals, 18 assists in 59 matches)

7. Benzema, 2022 (44 goals, 15 assists in 46 matches)

6. Messi, 2019 (54 goals, 23 assists, 58 matches)

5. Messi, 2011 (57 goals, 33 assists in 66 games)

4. Lewandowski, 2020 – trophy not awarded (55 goals, 10 assists in 47 games)

3. Cristiano Ronaldo, 2014 (58 goals, 18 assists in 52 matches)

2. Messi, 2015 (62 goals, 36 assists in 67 games)

1. Messi, 2012 (89 goals, 40 assists in 78 games).

Looking at this statistical chart, one thing can be said: there is no telling if anyone will ever be able to match Messi’s unreal numbers from 2012.

What is your favorite of this year’s Ballon d’Or?

Source: YouTube channel of Claudiu Medes and France Football