Yearender: From Sunil-led team setting new heights to Messi's record-breaking Ballon d'Or

NEW DELHI: Argentina's football maestro and Diego Maradona's successor, Lionel Messi, had a remarkable year, paralleling the groundbreaking success of the Sunil Chhetri-led Indian football team, thriving under the guidance of Igor Stimac.

Similar to Messi's global triumphs, the Indian squad celebrated a series of victories in 2023, marking a significant shift in football perceptions.

The Blue Tigers secured three international trophies, commencing with the Tri-Nations Series victory in March, followed by the Intercontinental Cup, and culminating in the SAFF Championship triumph in Bengaluru in July.

The habit of lifting trophies in 2023, reaped rewards at the global stage. Their consecutive triumph saw them rise in FIFA Rankings, breaking into the top 100 for the first time in five years. Following their triumph in the SAFF Championship, India established itself as a dominant force in South Asian Football as this victory marked their ninth title.

Not only the senior team but the young Blue Colts also emerged victorious in the SAFF Men's U19 champions after hammering Pakistan in the final and clinching a vigorous 3-0 victory. Coming to their Intercontinental Cup success, the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar was packed to the rafters as India were crowned champions.

The Blue Tigers overcame Lebanon, securing a 2-0 victory with goals from skipper Sunil Chhetri and Lallianzuala Chhangte. While European football was dominated by two names Lionel Messi and Manchester City. Under the leadership of Messi, Argentina won their third World Cup and his noteworthy performance was recognized by a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or.

He previously won the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021. The young boy from Santa Fe who made his first appearance in 2004 has enjoyed a career that can be deemed nothing short of a fairytale. He ended his stint with France champions, Paris Saint Germain, and made a switch to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the summer.

Messi guided Inter Miami to their first trophy in the history of the club after they emerged victorious against Nashville on penalties in the Leagues Cup final. Ballon d'Or wasn't the only accolade that Messi bagged this year after realizing his ultimate ambition in Qatar. He won the 2023 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award, after getting a nod ahead of Kylian Mbappe, Max Verstappen, and Rafael Nadal.

This was the second time that Messi was named the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award. Along with this he also went on to lift the Ligue 1 title with PSG in a closely fought affair.

They finished the season on 85 points, just a point ahead of Lens who ended up on the second spot with 84 points. He also ended the season as the top assist provider in the French league with a tally of 16.

While Messi extended his record-breaking tally, Manchester City etched their names in the history books by clinching an elusive treble last season. They lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League trophy to complete the elusive treble and become the first English team to do so since their arch-rival Manchester United in 1999.

Their Norwegian goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland became the Premier League player with the most goals in a single season across all competitions, overcoming Liverpool's Mo Salah's tally of 44 goals in the 2017/18 season. He also earned the Premier League Player of the Season and Golden Boot awards for 36 goals, the most by a player in a 38-game Premier League season.

It also included four hat-tricks. He won the Men's Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Players' Player of the Year. The Norwegian clinched the award seeing off competition from Harry Kane, as well as City teammates Kevin De Bruyne and John Stones, plus the Arsenal duo of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.