Ballon d’Or: Messi wins award; only three African players finish in the final top 30 rankings

Lionel Messi of Argentina won the coveted individual award, and only three African players made it into the final Ballon d’Or top 30 power rating.

The three players are Andre Onana of Cameroon, Mohamed Salah of Egypt, and Victor Osimhen of Nigeria.

The three were added to the list as a result of their outstanding season-long performances for their respective club teams.

Read Also: 2023 Ballon d’Or: Osimhen is one of the top ten players

Osimhen, who is a player for Napoli at the moment, guided the squad to the Serie A championship. Additionally, he was awarded the Golden Boot as the highest scorer.

With his goals and assists last season, Salah, a player for Liverpool, helped the team place among the top five in the Premier League standings.

Before leaving Inter Milan in the summer to sign with Manchester United, Onana was a tremendous player for the team, leading them to the Champions League final where they lost 1-0 to Manchester City.

In the final top 30 Ballon d’Or rating, which was released by France Football, Onana came in at number 23, Salah came in at number 11, and Osimhen came in at number 8.

According to Obasanjo news24, Messi defeated players like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or trophy on Monday night in Paris, as France Football announced the 30-man rankings.

First place in the rating went to the captain of Inter Miami.