“Not a bad choice” – Erling Haaland names ability he would like to steal from Ballon d'Or rival Lionel Messi

Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi are currently locked in the battle for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award. They are currently the most popular choices for the big award this year.

Speaking in an interview with France Football, the Manchester City striker couldn't hide his admiration for his rival as he named one quality he would like to steal from the Inter Miami maestro.

When asked what he would like to replicate from the World Cup winner's plethora of skills, the Norwegian revealed that he'd take Messi's dribbling ability.

“His dribbling is not a bad choice,” he said.

Erling Haaland has emerged as a serious contender for this year's Ballon d'Or award following his incredible numbers for Manchester City last season. The Norwegian was simply unstoppable in front of goal, recording a whopping 52 goals and nine assists to his name in 53 appearances across all competitions.

In addition, Haaland won the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League title and the FA Cup. He also claimed multiple individual honors including the UEFA Player of the Year, the European Golden Boot, the PFA Player of the Year, the Premier League Golden Boot among other awards.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, became a leading candidate for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award after firing Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last year. The Inter Miami forward had a brilliant tournament, scoring seven goals in as many games, to go with three assists. He scored in every round of the competition and was honored with the Silver Boot and the Golden Ball (for being the best player of the tournament).

At club level, the 36-year-old bagged 21 goals and 20 assists for Paris Saint-Germain across all competitions last season.

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Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland intensifying Ballon d'Or race with brilliant starts this term

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Erling Haaland has returned to doing what does best this season: tearing opposition defenses apart and scoring goals for fun in the Premier League. The 23-year-old has bagged six goals and one assist for Manchester City in four Premier League appearances so far.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, has taken his magic to the MLS after leaving PSG for Inter Miami this summer. The Argentine has scored 11 goals in as many games for his new club across all fronts alongside four assists.

He led the club to claim their first-ever trophy last month as they beat Nashville to claim the Leagues Cup. He's also fired them to the semifinals of the US Open Cup and significantly boosted their chances of qualifying for the MLS playoffs.