News
The 2023 Ballon d’Or nominations were out on September 6, 2023. Among the 30 players, two players who have the highest chances of winning the Ballon d’Or are Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
Narrative
Haaland had a breathtaking debut season with Manchester City under the tutelage of Spanish manager Pep Guardiola. The Norwegian ended up scoring 52 goals in 53 matches across all competitions, which played a pivotal role in Citizen’s first ever treble triumph.
However, Messi did something extraordinary, which overshadowed Haaland’s brilliance. The Argentine international not only had a spectacular season with PSG but he also single handedly guided Argentina to their third World Cup triumph in Qatar last year.
Debate
Why does Messi have a better chance of winning it?
The little magician amassed 38 goals and 25 assists across all competitions for PSG in the 2022-23 season. Moreover, he netted seven crucial goals and delivered three assists in the WC. He rose to the occasion in crunch situations.
On the other hand, Haaland did not get the chance to represent his country at the biggest stage, as Norway couldn’t qualify for the World Cup. Also, he failed to deliver against the big teams in the Champions League for Manchester City.
As a result of which, his teammate Rodri, won the ‘Player of the tournament’ award despite his 12 goals in the Champions League.
Why Haaland deserves the accolade more than Messi?
Messi might have won the World Cup but Erling Haaland was at the top of the things throughout the year. Scoring 36 goals in the 38 match Premier League season is a grueling task but the City striker made it look like a piece of cake.
The World Cup was a stretch of merely four weeks, whereas winning the treble for City, required persistence and effort throughout the year.
Former Chelsea player Craig Burley told ESPN, “If Erling Haaland doesn’t win this, close the shop.”
“Lionel Messi won the World Cup, and it’s a great achievement, but it’s a four-week period. His general league form was not the best. PSG were terrible. Erling Haaland? Over 50 goals, a Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. Erling Haaland should win this award."
Cristiano Ronaldo was not there in the nominations for the first time since 2003 and Messi has already left European football after a noteworthy 2022-23 season. Therefore, next year we could expect the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Robert Lewandowski and Vincius Junior to win the coveted Ballon d’Or title.
Comments