Erling Haaland Scoops Player of the Year Award Ahead of Ballon d’Or Battle vs Messi

• Erling Haaland has been voted the best player in the Premier League for the 2022/2023 season
• The Manchester City forward helped his side retain the top-flight title in his first season in England
• He is expected to compete for this year's Ballon d'Or title against Argentina's Lionel Messi

Erling Haaland has unsurprisingly won the 2022/2023 Player of the Season award after qa blistering campaign with Manchester City.

Haaland scored 36 times, a new record, as he won his first title in England following a move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

The Norwegian striker broke a number of records, including the most number of goals in an individual campaign. The tally could rise even higher should he find the back of the net against Brentford on the final day of the campaign.

Who did Haaland beat?

He saw off competition from Manchester United's Marcus Rashord, Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, Newcastle United's Kieran Trippier and his teammate Kevin De Bruyne.

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He also made history by becoming the first player to win both the Player of the Year award and young player of the year.

This is now the fourth consecutive season that a Manchester City player is winning the award after Kevin De Bruyne's wins in 2020 and 2022 and Ruben Dias' in 2021.

He will now set his eyes on helping Manchester City win the treble with the FA Cup final against Manchester United and the Champions League final against Inter Milan coming up next month.

The 22-year-old's odds of winning his first Ballon d'Or have risen significantly over the last few months. He will face competition from serial winner Lionel Messi whose World Cup triumph last year means he is a strong favourite.

Updated Ballon d'Or 2023 rankings

As Sports Brief reported, Messi's early elimination from the Champions League notwithstanding, the Argentine delivered for his country in Qatar. He played a role in almost every game, bar their opening match against Saudi Arabia.

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Apart from the World Cup, the 35-year-old has the Ligue 1 trophy in waiting, as well as the French Cup. If you combine his assists and goals, he almost matches Haaland's astronomical numbers.

He may still be the front-runner, with the World Cup lending him significant weight, but his 2023 form, coupled with disciplinary issues, could stand between him and another title.