Ballon d'Or 2023: Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are expected to battle it out for the next winner of the Ballon d'Or in a fierce competition.

Amid all the speculations, Brazilian legend and two-time winner of the prestigious award Ronaldo Nazario has picked sides between the Argentina skipper and Manchester City striker.

As of now, Messi stands as the favorite for the award, having lifted the most important trophy in the sport after winning the World Cup with Argentina last year.

But he is expected to face slight competition from the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

 

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While the famous award ceremony is set to take place on October 30, Ronaldo Nazario unveiled his choice, championing Messi as the deserving winner.

Nazario was one of many who regularly backed the former Barcelona star Messi to set the biggest stage on fire during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Lionel Messi, 35, headed into the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar with a lot of expectations and delivered brilliantly, scoring seven goals in as many matches.

He fell one short of Kylian Mbappe's tally and missed out on the Golden Boot, but it was enough to win Argentina a historic third World Cup title after 36 years.

Two of his goals came in the summit clash against France with the tournament also witnessing Messi score in each of the four knockout rounds, previously unprecedented in the FIFA World Cup.

"The Ballon d'Or should go to him (Lionel Messi), without a doubt. What Messi did in the World Cup was special. It reminded me of the campaigns of Pelé and Maradona," said Ronaldo while rating Messi higher than others.

Apart from the World Cup triumph, Messi also clinched the French Super Cup and Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1). He finished last season with 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games across competitions for the French giants.

However, Messi, who will be eyeing the 8th respective trophy of his career will surely be challenged by Haaland.

 

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The Norwegian was remarkable in his debut season with Pep Guardoila's side, having registered a magnificent tally of 52 goals in 53 games across all competitions last term, helping the club to clinch their maiden treble.

A victory for Messi will mark a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or win that will solidify his unparalleled legacy in world football.