“Then the Oscar award will always go to Robert De Niro and Al Pacino” - Jan Aage Fjortoft speaks against Lionel Messi winning Ballon d’Or

Jan Aage Fjortoft has claimed that Lionel Messi didn't deserve to win the Ballon d'Or ahead of Erling Haaland in 2023. To substantiate his point, Fjortoft drew a comparison with Oscars.

Messi was recently named the 2023 Ballon d'Or winner at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner won the individual accolade for the eighth time in his remarkable career.

Fjortoft, though, is skeptical of the triumph as he recently said on ESPN:

“Leo Messi is the God, he’s the GOAT, and he’s the best player ever. But if we take this award for serious, that was for the last season, you can’t have a better season than Erling Haaland had. If it gonna go on merit, then the Oscar award will always go to Robert De Niro and Al Pacino because they were fantastic actors. You can’t do it.”

Erling Haaland was the main star of the Manchester City team that won the European treble in 2022-23. The Norwegian scored an astounding 52 goals across competitions last term.

Fjortoft thinks that stunning numbers should have secured Haaland the Ballon d'Or award ahead of Lionel Messi as he added:

“100 percent, I was with Haaland. Does that mean I don’t like Messi? I love Messi. He’s probably the best ever, as is Al Pacino one of the best actors ever.”

Lionel Messi set to reunite with former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez at Inter Miami

According to ESPN, Inter Miami have agreed on a deal for Gremio forward Luis Suarez to join them. The report stated that a one-year deal with the option of a further year has been agreed and is expected to be announced soon.

Suarez and Lionel Messi played together at Barcelona, wreaking havoc on opposition defenses. They played 258 matches as teammates, combining in 99 goals.

Apart from Messi, ex-Barcelona stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are also at Inter Miami. Suarez's addition to the roster is set to make the Herons more compelling to the fans.