There are a lot of awards that a player can receive, but the one that every player wishes to have is the Ballon d’Or. It is the highest individual honor a footballer can have, and Argentine winger Lionel Messi has won it not once, not twice, but seven times. The Inter Miami ace has always shocked the world with his amazing skills and game sense, and he did it again at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Rumors of Lionel Messi winning his eighth Ballon d’Or on October 30 have started spreading like wildfire, and there are some who do not agree with these speculations.
Michail Antonio on Lionel Messi Ballon d’Or leak
Spanish media outlet SPORT revealed that Lionel Messi will be crowned the winner of the 2023 Ballon d’Or on Monday in Paris. This news got mixed reactions from the fans. While some were happy that the G.O.A.T. was going to get one more step ahead of his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo, others called it a robbery, saying that Manchester City ace Erling Haaland deserves it more than anyone else.
West Ham United’s striker Michail Antonio expressed his views about the topic, and the Jamaican sided with Haaland. “If you take away international football and compare statistically, Haaland should win the award. You can’t look past Messi winning his first World Cup as it’s a big contributing factor, but club football-wise, he’s been playing in America, which is very different from Haaland in the Premier League,” he said.
He further went on to compare Lionel Messi’s World Cup with Erling Haaland’s treble, saying, “I agree with Callum. I understand Messi winning the World Cup is massive, but you can’t look past a treble-winning team and what Haaland brought to that, breaking records. He deserves that Ballon d’Or. If he doesn’t get it, then it’s a scandal.”
Soccer fans speculate Erling Haaland’s Ballon d’Or win over Lionel Messi
Though the chances are currently siding with Messi, football fans still believe that Erling Haaland is going to one-up the Inter Miami star and steal away the victory this time. French magazine Marca has also claimed that the City striker has more votes, so maybe things will go in Erling’s favor.
Erling Haaland’s record-breaking 35 goals in the Premier League were surely impressive, and the forward also played a major role in Manchester City’s Champions League victory. On the other hand, Lionel Messi’s performance in the World Cup was one of a kind, and he turned out to be the best player on the field in the tournament.
Who is going to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or? Drop your predictions in the comments.
