Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are the two leading contenders to clinch the Ballon d'Or which will be announced at a ceremony on October 30 according to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
Messi led Argentina to a famous World Cup triumph in Qatar last year while Haaland smashed records in his memorable debut season with Manchester City, smashing 52 goals in 53 games to help City win a Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup treble.
"Always I said the Ballon d'Or should be in two sections; one for Messi, then after another one so Haaland should win, yes," Guardiola told a news conference on Friday.
"We won the treble, he scored a million goals. The worst season for Messi is the best for the rest of the players. Both deserve it. Realistically I want Haaland to have it cause he helped us achieve what we achieved, I would love it. But Messi won the World Cup."
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"It’s nice that many players for Man City will be there for the first time in many years and challenging for these trophies. That makes us so proud for our organisation," he added.
Messi played last season with Paris Saint Germain and ended up winning the league title. In the 2022-23 French Ligue 1 season, he averaged 61 passes per match with a pass completion rate of 83% and provided 15 assists.
Notably, Guardiola coached Messi for several years at Barcelona and went on to create a special bond with the Argentine superstar. The former Barca skipper already has seven Ballon d'Or trophies under his belt and is on the verge of winning a record-eighth this year.
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On the other hand, Guardiola is also rooting for Haaland for the famous trophy as the star striker helped him achieve a remarkable feat.
City will be aiming to get back to winning ways after a return to the action in Premier League after the international break.
They will be up against the tough challenge of Brighton on Saturday, having lost their previous two league matches against Wolves and Arsenal.
City midfielder Kalvin Phillips hasn't been getting much game time under Guardiola. He admitted that he needs to play more to stand a chance of retaining a place in the England squad for next year's European Championship.
That has increased speculation he could leave in January and Guardiola did not rule out the possibility.
"The transfer window is over, now we are here together. When we need a game with transitions, Kalvin is perfect," he said, "When there is something you need to do, there are still one or two players who can do it better. That’s the simple reason. He will be here until winter. After, I don’t know what will happen because nobody knows once the window is open."
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The Spanish international Guardiola also admitted the importance of Rdori who can make his return after missing out on three matches due to suspension following last month’s sending-off against Nottingham Forest.