Manchester City No.9 Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi have now been nominated for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2023 award after a stunning year.
As far as Manchester City players are concerned, Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo Silva have also been nominated for the award, which their Norwegian teammate seems highly likely to win.
So, why is Erling Haaland likely to beat Lionel Messi to The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2023? Let’s take a look…
Why Erling Haaland is likely to beat Lionel Messi to The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2023
Well, some have tipped the South American to beat the 23-year-old to the Ballon d’Or after he finally lifted the World Cup back in December, despite the Norway international’s treble win and 52 goals.
However, this is a different award, and there is one key reason why Haaland is the outright favourite.
As stated by FIFA on their official website, The Best award is based on achievements ranging from December 19th 2022 – one day after the World Cup final – to August 20th 2023.
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That timeframe includes most of Haaland’s remarkable 53-goal haul, as well as the dates on which he lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.
In regards to Messi, the 36-year-old only had the Ligue 1 title to show off in terms of silverware in between those two dates in terms of major honours.
The Argentine did still enjoy a strong campaign at club level on a personal level, scoring 16 goals and providing 16 assists in 32 Ligue 1 appearances, while also scoring four and assisting another four in seven Champions League outings.
However, that has nothing on Haaland’s 52 goals and nine assists in just 53 appearances across all competitions.
You can cast your vote for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2023 here.
Hopefully, Haaland is recognised for his phenomenal 2022/23 campaign, and he can bring the prestigious trophy back to Manchester.