Lionel Messi's 8th Ballon d'Or Reignites Ronaldo GOAT Debate

While the days of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo going head-to-head in El Clasico are long gone, soccer's modern GOAT debate isn't over. If anything, it's as fiercely contested as ever.

On Tuesday, Messi claimed the 2023 Ballon d'Or, crowning him as the best male footballer from the previous season. It was his eighth time lifting the trophy, which furthers his all-time lead. And while one-off awards can be somewhat flawed—isolating a single player within a team sport is often an imperfect process—that didn't prevent a new round of social media debate.

Let's break things down.

Messi's Ballon d'Or Moves Him Further Past Ronaldo

When it comes to sports debates, one of the biggest ranking criteria is silverware. If you've earned a trophy, you've theoretically conquered any and all opponents to shine in the biggest moment. For those who espouse Messi's greatness, his most recent Ballon d'Or is certainly significant.

The award was the Argentine star's eighth, which further pads his lead atop the all-time leaderboard. His great rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, now sits three titles behind; he's in second place with five Ballon d'Or titles.

And, from a rivalry perspective, it's worth noting that the Portuguese forward wasn't even on the 30-player shortlist for the first time in since 2003 (barring the canceled 2020 ballot). That's understandable—Ronaldo didn't play much European football during the 2022-23 season before heading to Saudi Arabia—but it will still give Messi's supporters a bit of extra joy.

Messi-Ronaldo Debate Rolling on Social Media

While Messi and Ronaldo have moved outside of Europe and are playing out the twilight of their careers, the 2023 Ballon d'Or provided a bit of a throwback. Not only was Messi honored on the global stage, but each player's fans took to social media to express support.

Some accounts on X, formerly Twitter, kept things straightforward, like Guinness World Records congratulating Messi for his achievement while crowning him "the undisputed GOAT."

Others, like user CFCDigest, opted to juxtapose the Argentine's recent World Cup success against Ronaldo leaving the pitch in tears.

On the opposite side, multiple posts argued that this Ballon d'Or didn't change anything.

"Like this tweet if no matter what Ronaldo will always be your GOAT," UTDTrey wrote.

The tweet had more than 24,000 likes as of October 31. Shortly after, UTDTrey followed by saying "3 more Ballon D'ors and a World Cup yet Ronaldo is still the GOAT. That's crazy."

Other users shared similar sentiments, focusing on how Ronaldo remained at the top of their list.

Messi Kept it Humble

When you're coming off a World Cup title and an incredible eighth Ballon d'Or, a bit of arrogance would be understandable. Messi, however, handled things differently.

In fact, if we take him at his word, being the GOAT isn't a priority. In fact, it's barely even a thought.

"Well, as always, I don't know if I'm the best, if I am or not, and it's not something that I ask myself or that I'm interested in," Messi said after the ceremony. "But the fact that maybe in the future it will be said that I can be among the best, as they say, is a gift for me. It's something very special. Football is played by everyone, everywhere. From a very young age, every kid wants to be a footballer, to be a professional, and for them to tell me that I can be among the best, for me, it is an honor, a great pride, and that's it."

And while that statement isn't going to silence the GOAT debate, we can agree with the core sentiment. Whether you think he's the ultimate or not, just about everyone can agree that Messi is among the best we've ever seen.