Former Liverpool star makes bold Ballon d'Or prediction and chooses between Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland

Former Liverpool man Jose Enrique recently gave his verdict on this year's Ballon d'Or award winner between Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

The retired Spaniard revealed via Instagram that while Haaland has done very well, Messi is his pick to win the coveted award.

With the official list of nominees for the award due to be revealed in the next 24 hours, popular football journalist Fabrizio Romano made a post on his Instagram account and captioned it:

"Who's gonna win the Ballon d'Or? ✨️ Ballon d'Or nomination list will be released today... and winner to be unveiled on 30th October in Paris! 🇫🇷"

The post has garnered 27,008 comments at the time of this article, one of which came from retired left-back Enrique via his own account. Jose Enrique threw his weight behind Messi to make further history. His reply read:

"Haaland deserve it as well but is going to be the 🐐 Lionel Messi"

Argentina and Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi is one of the front-runners to win the award. The forward enjoyed a stunning year on the biggest stage, the FIFA World Cup, where he carried his country to victory in Qatar.

Despite all his struggles at club level with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), many, including Enrique, believe he has done enough to be named as the world's best player for the eighth time in his career.

However, when asked, Lionel Messi revealed that he was not bothered about whether he wins the award or not as he has completed football and achieved his biggest dream already.

Erling Haaland also enjoyed a brilliant season at club level, winning the treble with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Individual accolades have been in plentiful supply for Haaland after last season. He was named the PFA Player of the Year, FWA Player of the Year, FWA Young Player of the Year, and UEFA Player of the Year.

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How did Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland perform in the consideration period for the Ballon d'Or?

The Ballon d'Or is awarded based on the performance of players between August 1 and July 31, a duration that spans exactly one season.

In the past, the award was handed out to the best performer for the calendar year, but the format changed last year to seasonal.

In the last season, Messi and Erling Haaland have tasted success on different levels. Despite the Norwegian's stunning debut season at Manchester City, it is difficult to put it past Lionel Messi becoming the first-ever player to win the Ballon d'Or playing outside Europe.

The Argentine star won the French Ligue 1 in addition to the World Cup, scoring 21 goals and 20 assists across all competitions for PSG. He also won the Golden Ball for the best player at the FIFA World Cup and finished second in the goalscoring charts with seven goals and three assists.

Haaland also had a season to remember, as well, after joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund. The 23-year-old striker scored an incredible 52 goals in 53 appearances for the club last season, including record-breaking 36 in the Premier League. He led the goalscoring in the UEFA Champions League with 12 goals as his side won the title for the first time ever.

Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are neck-and-neck for this year's Ballon d'Or, without a doubt. The winner will be announced on October 30th in Paris.