"It will be full of sentimental claptrap" - Pundit urges Ballon d'Or nominee to boycott ceremony if Lionel Messi wins the award this year

Former Chelsea player Craig Burley has advised Erling Haaland to boycott future Ballon d'Or events if he's snubbed in favour of Lionel Messi for the men's trophy this year.

Both players have had exceptional seasons. Haaland achieved the rare feat of winning the treble with Manchester City while Lionel Messi guided his natonal team to FIFA World Cup glory in 2022.

Burley reckons Haaland is more deserving of the award and has urged him to snub future invites if Messi wins the Ballon d'Or this year.

“If Erling Haaland doesn’t win this, close the shop,” Burley told ESPN. “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."

Burley continued:

“I know that a lot of people out there can’t get off the Messi bandwagon, but look at the bigger picture. There’s going to be a lot of muppet journos voting for Messi. The big picture here is that Erling Haaland achieved everything over a long period of time."

The former Chelsea player thinks that sentimental votes will go in favour of Messi, who's now a legend of the game and recently made his exit from European football.

Burley said:

“This award, like a few awards, drives me nuts, but he (Haaland)’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.”

Robert Lewandowski was snubbed in favour of Messi back in 2021 despite scoring 48 times and registering nine assists in 40 appearances for Bayern Munich. Messi had registered 38 goals and 14 assists in 47 games for Barcelona in the same season but went on to win the award. The Argentine won the Copa America that year.

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How did Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland fare in the previous season?

Heading into his second season at Paris Saint-Germain in 2022-23, Messi fared well. He registered 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games across competitions, helping them win Ligue 1 but failed to deliver in the UEFA Champions League.

On the international stage, Lionel Messi delivered with aplomb in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He bagged seven goals and lid down three assists in seven games for Argentina as they lifted the prestigious trophy in December 2022.

As for Haaland, he joined Manchester City in the summer of 2022 and delivered massive success in his debut season. He registered an impressive 52 goals and nine assists in 53 games for City.

Haaland's goals helped Pep Guardiola's side win the famous treble, which constitutes the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and FA Cup. Haaland finished as the top scorer in both the Premier League and Champions League.