Why Ballon d’Or organizers claim Messi is not yet the record holder ahead of 2023 award

Inter Miami superstar, Lionel Messi is not yet the all-time leading Ballon d’Or winner, according to Goal.

Messi is widely expected to be named the best player in the world for the eighth time in Paris on Monday.

Because the Ballon d’Or did not cover South America until 1995, Pele never officially won the Golden Ball.

However, in 2016, the award organisers, France Football, conducted an ‘international re-evaluation’.

It was determined that Pele would have won the award seven times (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1970) had he been eligible.

That would mean Messi will only become the outright record winner of the Ballon d’Or if he wins an eighth prize.