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Manchester City forward Erling Haaland is looking forward to the Ballon d'Or ceremony as he faces off against Lionel Messi for the prestigious individual award.
The Norway international is gunning to win his first "Golden Ball" while Messi is looking to claim his record-extending eighth award.
Prior to the grand ceremony on October 30, Haaland expressed how it would be an honor to share the stage with some of the finest football players in the world. The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Kevin De Bruyne, Lionel Messi, and Vinicius Junior are some of the stars nominated for the award this year.
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Ahead of the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony, in-form Manchester City attacker was quoted as saying (via Fabrizio Romano on X):
“It's a great night, I'm looking forward to meeting a couple of my mates and everything. It's going to be a great night, and it's going to be a lot of nice footballers in the same room”
The 2023 edition is probably Erling Haaland's best chance of winning the esteemed award for the first time in his career. The former Borussia Dortmund forward finished 10th in the overall standings last year.
This year, however, has been excellent for him. He joined Manchester City ahead of the 2022-23 season and helped them secure the treble by contributing 52 goals and nine assists from 53 matches across all competitions.
Haaland has been in some excellent form this season as well. The forward has already scored 13 goals and provided three assists from 15 games in all competitions.
Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or chances over Erling Haaland are based on his international success
Unlike Erling Haaland, who had an excellent year in club football with Manchester City, Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or chances are more based on his exploits with Argentina.
The Inter Miami superstar helped his national side win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, beating defending champions France in the final on penalties. Lionel Messi scored seven goals and provided three assists at the tournament in Qatar which saw him win the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He also scored twice in the final against France.
Lionel Messi also had a decent season in France with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) where he won his second Ligue 1 title. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner went on to contribute 21 goals and 20 assists from 41 games across all competitions. This includes a tally of 16 goals and the same number of assists in the league.
