It didn't escape anyone's notice that Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or. He notably beat the Norwegian Erling Haaland, and his former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé. The world champion, returned to the United States, presented his trophy to the public at Inter Miami, where he now plays.
This event did not prevent Miami from losing once again in a friendly against New York City FC (1-2), despite the presence of the eight-time Golden Ball. David Beckam's franchise finished the regular season in penultimate place in the Eastern Conference and therefore did not qualify for the play-offs.