Some parallels can be drawn between the Ballon d’Or won by Lionel Messi and the one awarded to Aitana Bonmatí. In the first instance, it can be said that both achieved it, in large part, by having won the World Cup with their country. Inter Miami’s number 10 was achieved in December in Qatar along with her teammates from the Argentine National Team, while the Barcelona midfielder achieved it with Spain in the tournament that was held in Australia and New Zealand. These World Cups allowed both of them to win the Ballon d’Or.

The captain of the Argentine National Team reached a milestone that will be very difficult for any player to match: winning eight Ballon d’Ors. France Football magazine chose him once again and on this occasion what happened on December 18, 2022 had great influence. With the facts in sight, it is clear that, if that final had been won by France, today’s winner would have been Kylian Mbappé. The other finalist in the men’s shortlist was Erling Haaland, who could not stand out with a modest Norwegian National Team, although he was the scorer for the team of the year, Manchester City.