The year 2023 in football had one of the toughest jobs: to live up to the sky-high standards set by 2022. And with good reason, as the year 2022 gave us Lionel Messi as the World Cup winner, a dream run by Real Madrid in the Champions League, a crazy final day of the Premier League on top of an incredible World Cup which saw upsets and fairy tales such as the incredible run of the Moroccan football team.
However, the year 2023 proved to be as good as its predecessor, bringing us moments that reminded us why football is the greatest game on the planet. As fans, we witnessed records tumble, new champions crowned, and new superstars born.
And as the year comes to an end, we can’t help but admire the footballing memories that this year has given us. With a new year approaching, we can only hope for better and bigger things in football that continue to amaze and inspire the game we all love.
So, here are the top 10 moments of 2023 in football.
Lionel Messi wins record eighth Ballon d’Or
It was all but confirmed on December 18, 2022, that Lionel Messi was the hot favourite for the 2023 Ballon d’Or. The Argentine maestro had conquered his final peak by adding the World Cup to his already long list of titles and accolades.
However, just like Messi, there was another man by the name of Erling Haaland who was hot on his heels by having a season that only a few footballers have achieved in their careers. Messi had already won the trophy seven times, but capping off his World Cup with another one would have genuinely completed his legacy.
And this is what happened as he defeated Haaland by 105 votes to emerge as the winner.
Manchester City script history with treble
Before June 10, 2023, Manchester City had won 22 trophies since their takeover by their UAE owners in September 2008. This was an impressive achievement for the club, especially given that seven of these trophies were in the Premier League, five of which came in the last six seasons.
However, despite this, one trophy that eluded them was the Champions League, which they had come very close to winning in recent years. That all changed on a June night at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
City were coming off an incredible campaign, having already won the Premier League and FA Cup, but they had their eyes on the Champions League. And they reached it by navigating their most competitive run in the tournament.
First, they topped their group, comprising teams such as Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla. This…
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