France Football magazine published the list of the 30 finalists for the Ballon d’Or on Wednesday.
Within this group of outstanding players, two stand out above the rest: Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
The Argentine and the Norwegian are the favorites to win the most prestigious individual trophy in the world of football.
There are others on the shortlist who have had a great season, such as Vinicius, Rodri or Kevin de Bruyne, but it would be a surprise if Karim Benzema’s successor is someone other than the Inter Miami player or the Manchester City striker.
It should be noted that, unlike in the past, the performance taken into consideration is for the 2022/23 season, that is, from the beginning of August last year until the season ended in June.
Therefore, the World Cup in Qatar is taken into account, while helps Messi’s bid for an eighth Ballon d’Or.
But, all is not lost for Haaland given his great goalscoring numbers and the treble of trophies he took home.
Messi’s Ballon d’Or canddacy
Argentina’s win in Qatar is the reason for Messi’s bid. The now Inter Miami footballer managed to score seven goals and provided three assists, participating in 10 of the 15 goals for his team.
The Argentine star was key in the tournament, allowing him to add the only trophy that was missing to his cabinet.
In addition, he put the national team on his back, with many young players who were at their first tournament such as Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez or Alexis Mac Allister.
Even so, his campaign with PSG raises some doubts That’s why he’s not the overwhelming favorite. It is true that his numbers were much better than in 2021/22, but the elimination in the round of 16 of the Champions League isn’t offset by the Ligue 1 title.
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Is Haaland’s treble worth more than a World Cup?
The other leading candidate is Erling Haaland. His debut season in Pep Guardiola’s team was remarkable, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League and being top scorer in each of those competitions.
In addition, he broke the record for most goals in a single season in the Premier League and took the Golden Boot 2022/23 and the UEFA award for Best Player of the Season.
His scoring figures in 2022/23 were spectacular: 52 goals in 53 games in all competitions with Manchester City. His big negative helps Messi: Norway did not even qualify for the World Cup.
Who will prevail? Messi’s World Cup or Haaland’s treble? The answer will come on October 30, when Benzema will have a successor.
List of the 30 nominees for the 2022/23 Ballon d’Or
Karim Benzema
Josko Gvardiol
Jamal Musiala
Andre Onana
Mohamed Salah
Bukayo Saka
Kevin de Bruyne
Jude Bellingham
Kolo Muani
Bernardo Silva
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Nicolo Barella
Emiliano Martinez
Ruben Dias
Erling Haaland
Martin Odegaard
Ilkay Gundogan
Yassine Bounou
Julian Alvarez
Vinicius Junior
Leo Messi
Rodri
Lautaro Martnez
Antoine Griezmann
Robert Lewandowski
Kim Min-jae
Luka Modric
Kylian Mbappe
Victor Osimhem
Harry Kane
