France Football, the organisation behind the Ballon d’Or Award ceremony, has published the complete voting list for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, in which Lionel Messi emerged as the winner.
A panel of 100 journalists from various countries was selected to cast their votes for the 30 shortlisted players.
Representing Ghana, Michael Oti Adjei from the TV3 network participated in the voting, and for Nigeria, Samm Audu from scorenigeria had a vote.
The selection of journalists is based on FIFA’s rankings, ensuring that one journalist from each of the top 100 ranked nations has a vote.
The voting process entails each journalist selecting their top five players, with the first choice receiving six points, the second choice getting four points, the third choice receiving three points, the fourth choice earning two points, and the fifth choice getting one point.
The three players with the highest total points constitute the top three shortlist, with the player receiving the highest points among them winning the award.
Oti Adjei voted for Erling Haaland, Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Kevin De Bruyne, and Victor Osimhen as his top five choices. On the other hand, Audu voted for Messi, Haaland, Mbappe, Osimhen, and Jude Bellingham.
Messi secured the top spot in the cumulative votes, amassing 462 points, surpassing Haaland, who secured the second position with 357 points.
This victory marked Lionel Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or award, further extending his record as the player with the most Ballon d’Or awards, three more than Cristiano Ronaldo.