Legendary football player and former Barcelona captain Lionel Messi is expected to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Next Monday, the French host the annual Ballon d’Or ceremony, and according to Romano, all signs lead to Messi winning it again.

If he wins this year, the 36-year-old Inter Miami and Argentina superstar will raise the honor for the eighth time in his illustrious career.

Both Messi and Erling Haaland, who had a fantastic year for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, are candidates for the prize.

Barcelona’s Ilkay Gundogan and Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski are also up for the prize.

But as things stand, Messi looks certain to win the Ballon d’Or for a record eighth time in December 2022, after leading Argentina to the victory at the FIFA World Cup 2022.

While playing for Barcelona, Messi won a record-breaking seven Ballon d’Or honors, making him one of the all-time greats of the sport.

The Argentine player departed the club in 2021, signed with PSG, and won two consecutive French Ligue 1 championships before making a summer transfer to Inter Miami.

By winning the World Cup last year, the Argentine star ‘completed football,’ something that had been missing from his otherwise stellar career.

The former Barcelona captain is well deserving of his eighth Ballon d’Or.