Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are the frontrunners for the 2023 Ballon d’Or award, although the list of the nominees have yet to be announced. These two players have been undeniably two of the most talked about players last season. Messi and Haaland both made their histories last season, following the achievements they reached. Messi was able to lead the Argentinian squad in the 2022 FIFA World Cup where they eventually won the title. Additionally, during the summer transfer window, Messi made noise after he opted to join the Major League Soccer, instead of staying in Europe. Meanwhile, Haaland is one of the key player for Manchester City, proving his importance last year. Haaland helped Man City to win the historic treble last season, which is one of the books in history. The nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or will be revealed for the next 24 hours.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi currently is the favorite to win the title, which is actually not surprising, considering his performance last season. During the 2022-23 season, he had 24, goals, along with 26 assists, and have won the World Cup, Ligue 1, and even the Trophee des Champions. Although his form in the second half of the season do not look as good, he is still the front-runner to win the title. The fact that he won the World Cup title last season, is enough for him to lead the race for the prestigious award. Winning the Ballon d’Or is no longer new for Messi, as he has won the award for seven times already. He won the title in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021. He holds the record for the player with most number of Ballon d’Or award in history.
During the World Cup, he have been an inspiring player, although he announced that it will probably be his last World Cup. Messi was actually named the Player of the Tournament as he scored seven goals, and three assists for Argentina. He is now with Inter Miami, after he completed his move during the summer, ending his campaign with PSG.
Erling Haaland
Haaland on the other hand helped his squad to win the historic treble last season, which is one of the books. Last season, he chipped in 56 goals, nine assists, won the Champions League, Premier League, and the FA Cup. If those records were not enough to prove he is one of the best players, he actually broke records after records last season. In fact, in late April, he was able to prove why he deserve the award. However, in their last eight matches, it seems like Haaland’s performance suddenly dropped, earning only one goal. Despite that performance, it is undeniable that his efforts is one of the main reasons why Man City was able to complete the treble. Haaland was able to prove that he is a prized player, despite his young age.
Despite his amazing performance, Haaland failed to make Norway qualify for the World Cup, which will be one of his disadvantage. Nonetheless, it is inevitable that he is one of the top players last season, giving Man City their fifth title in their last six years.
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