Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are two of the main candidates for the Ballon d’Or, and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given his take on the debate about who should win it.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola worked with Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
Guardiola now manages Erling Haaland at City.
Haaland scored 52 goals in all competitions last season, including 36 in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old Norway international striker was also the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League last season.
City won the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup last season.
Lionel Messi helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Ligue 1 title last season.
And, the former Barcelona forward won the big trophy with Argentina – the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The ceremony for the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards will be held in Paris on October 30.
According to talKSPORT, Messi, who is now at Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, is the favourite to win it ahead of Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain and France international forward Kylian Mbappe.
Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland vs Lionel Messi for Ballon d’Or
The Manchester Evening News quotes Guardiola as saying: “Always I said the Balon d’Or should be two sections.
“One for Messi, then after another one so Haaland should win yes. We won the treble, he scored a million goals.
“The worst season for Messi is the best for the rest of the players. Both deserve it.
“Realistically I want Haaland to have it cause he helped us achieve what we achieved, I would love it.
“But Messi won the World Cup. It’s good players here are up for the award, it makes us so proud.”
Erling Haaland will have many chances to win Ballon d’Or
I believe that Manchester City and Norway international striker Erling Haaland will have many chances to win the Ballon d’Or in the coming years.
After all, Haaland is only 23 now.
And, he is already a world-class striker.
In my opinion, Haaland and Mbappe will be the two main candidates for the Ballon d’Or in the next five to eight years.
Haaland has already taken his game to the next level at City.
The striker is banging in the goals for fun, not just in the Premier League but in the UEFA Champions League as well.
Messi is coming to the end of his career, while Cristiano Ronaldo is away in Saudi Arabia.
The era of Messi and Ronaldo dominating major awards is about to come to an end.
Haaland could be the next superstar in world football who wins everything.
