Messi won the Goal50 Player of the Year award in 2023, beating Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham to become the Player of the Year.
Goal's official evaluation of Messi said that after leading Argentina to win the Hercules Cup in December last year, Messi started his journey in 2023 as a World Cup champion.
In his final season in Paris, Messi won his second Ligue 1 title, scoring 21 goals and providing 20 assists.
After his contract expired, Messi opted to join the MLS's Inter Miami, scoring 14 goals in his first 11 games and helping the team win their first championship trophy in team history.
At the national team level, Messi led Argentina to a stellar performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, winning five of their six matches. With his outstanding performances for club and country, Messi won the Ballon d'Or for the eighth time, setting a record.
In addition, this year's Goal50 top five players include Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Kevin De Bruyne.
The Goal50 selection began in 2008 and since 2021 has been decided exclusively by fan votes, and before that by a panel of experts.
It is worth mentioning that Messi won the first place in the Goal50 selection for the seventh time, two more than his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldo did not make the Goal50 shortlist this year.