Title: Lionel Messi Favored to Win 2023 Ballon d’Or as Voting Criteria Changes
In what is expected to be yet another historic night for Lionel Messi, the 2023 Ballon d’Or award ceremony seems to be leaning heavily in his favor. A significant change in the voting criteria now considers the previous season (2022/23) instead of the calendar year, placing Messi as the frontrunner due to his remarkable leadership in leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Despite Messi’s summer move to MLS side Inter Miami initially seeming to remove him from contention, the updated rule has shifted the landscape, making him the red-hot favorite for the prestigious award. However, Manchester City’s prolific scorer Erling Haaland poses as Messi’s closest rival for the accolade after a remarkable treble win with Pep Guardiola’s team. Let’s take a closer look at their respective records for the 2022/23 season.
Erling Haaland made an immediate impact in English football following his transfer to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in June 2022. The Norwegian striker set a new Premier League Golden Boot record, netting an impressive 36 goals in just 35 appearances. Across all competitions, he scored 52 goals in 53 games, surpassing previous records set by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer. Haaland also provided eight assists in the Premier League and scored nine goals in eight appearances for the national team, despite Norway not qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi ended his final season at Paris Saint-Germain with 21 goals across all competitions, 16 of which came in their successful Ligue 1 title defense. Additionally, Messi led the assist charts with 16. Although he faced some criticism from PSG fans for his performances after the World Cup, Messi demonstrated his prowess by scoring nine of his 16 league goals upon his return in January. In the Champions League, PSG exited in the round of 16 to Bayern Munich, where Messi scored four goals and provided four assists.
However, Messi’s push for the 2023 Ballon d’Or largely hinges on his exceptional form for Argentina. He scored 10 goals in five World Cup warm-up games and followed it up with an incredible display in Qatar, contributing seven goals and three assists as Argentina claimed their first-ever World Cup title. Adding five more international goals in 2023, Messi’s overall season tally for Argentina reached 22.
Haaland’s goals played a vital role in Manchester City’s achievement of matching Manchester United’s historic treble win from 1998/99. Guardiola’s team clinched the Premier League title, triumphed in the FA Cup final against United, and secured their first-ever Champions League trophy by defeating Inter Milan. Additionally, City won the UEFA Super Cup in August as part of their European success.
Similarly, PSG started the 2022/23 season with a victory in the Trophee des Champions, defeating Nantes 4-0. Led by Messi and Kylian Mbappe, they successfully retained the Ligue 1 crown, finishing with a one-point advantage over Lens and securing their fifth league title in six seasons.
While Haaland’s remarkable performance for City makes him a formidable opponent, Messi appears to be on track to claim an unprecedented eighth Ballon d’Or. Haaland has yet to win the prestigious award in his early career, having been nominated for the third consecutive year, finishing 11th in 2021 and 10th in 2022.
For those interested in the Ballon d’Or betting odds, several major bookmakers accept wagers on the nominees. At present, Lionel Messi leads as the favorite with odds of 1/10, followed by Erling Haaland with odds of 9/2. Vinicius Jr, Kevin De Bruyne, and Rodri are also listed as contenders with odds of 50/1.
In conclusion, Lionel Messi’s exceptional accomplishments and leadership both for Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain place him as the frontrunner for the 2023 Ballon d’Or. However, Erling Haaland’s outstanding goal-scoring performance for Manchester City makes him a formidable challenger. The award ceremony promises to be filled with anticipation and excitement, as fans eagerly await the announcement of the winner.
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