“If Erling Haaland doesn’t win this, close the shop” – Ex-Chelsea star hits out at Lionel Messi ‘bandwagon’ in 2023 Ballon d’Or race

Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has stated that it would be absolutely unfair if Erling Haaland doesn't win the Ballon d'Or ahead of Lionel Messi and that the Norwegian should boycott the individual prize in future.

Messi, 36, became a favourite to win the award after leading Argentina to glory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, registering seven goals and three assists in seven games. However, he only had modest success in club football according to his standards, bagging 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games across competitions as PSG won just the Ligue 1 title.

Meanwhile, Haaland was a roaring success in his first season at Manchester City since arriving last summer. The 23-year-old racked in an impressive haul of 52 goals and nine assists in 53 games across competitions as City won their first continental treble.

That tally includes 36 goals in the league - a single-season Premier League record - while his 12 Champions League strikes were also the most by any player in the competition last season.

Haaland's superlative exploits over a much longer period than the four-week World Cup make him a more deserving Ballon d'Or winner, reckons Burley, who told ESPN (via Manchester Evening News).

"If Erling Haaland doesn’t win this, close the shop. Lionel Messi won the World Cup and it’s a great achievement, but it’s a four-week period. His general league form was not the best. PSG were terrible."

"Erling Haaland? Over 50 goals, a Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. Erling Haaland should win this award. I know that a lot of people out there can’t get off the Messi bandwagon, but look at the bigger picture.

Burley added that Lionel Messi's World Cup triumph with Argentina would sway many Ballon d'Or votes towards him, terming it 'sentimental claptrap':

"There’s going to be a lot of muppet journos voting for Messi. The big picture here is Erling Haaland achieved everything over a long period of time.

"This award, like a few awards, drives me nuts but he’s the one that deserves it, but I think out there it will be full of sentimental claptrap - Messi won the World Cup, Messi’s this and Messi’s that, and they will just hand him another one. And if I was Erling Haaland, I would never go back to another Ballon d’Or in my life, same as Robert Lewandowski."

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How have Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi fared this season?

Haaland has started the season strongly.

Both Messi and Haaland have had impressive starts to their 2023-24 campaigns for their respective sides, MLS side Inter Miami and Premier League giants Manchester City.

Lionel Messi has racked up 11 goals and five assists in 11 games across competitions since arriving at the Herons as a free agent this summer. That includes 10 goals and an assist in seven games, as Miami won the inaugural Leagues Cup, their first title.

Meanwhile, Haaland has continued from where he left off last campaign, bagging six goals and an assist in six outings across competitions. That includes a hat-trick and an assist in City's 5-1 Premier League home win over Fulham just before the international break.