Messi vs Haaland: Race for Ballon d’Or 2023 Heats Up After Champions League Final

• The race for the Ballon d’Or 2023 will be exciting following the incredible performances of the world's biggest football stars
• Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland will go head-to-head for the biggest individual prize in world football
• After Manchester City claimed the UEFA Champions League, the race for the Golden Ball could have taken a new turn

It will be daunting to determine the 2023 Ballon d’Or recipient following the performances of some of the biggest stars in world football.

Two names have continued to emerge for the ultimate prize, as Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland look like promising aspects to win the coveted gong.

While the Argentine has won the Ballon d’Or on seven occasions, Haaland could claim the biggest individual prize in football for the first time in his career.

After Manchester City claimed the UEFA Champions League on Saturday night, the race for the 2023 Ballon d’Or race got much more interesting.

Winners and losers of the Premier League season

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When is the winner announced?

The world’s best footballers will vie to succeed 2022 winner, Karim Benzema in lifting the Golden Ball in Paris on October 30 this year.

Although the venue is not yet confirmed, the grandest event of the football world is billed to be unfolded at the Theatre du Chatelet in the heart of Paris, France, Sportz Point reports.

Who will win it?

Players like Kylian Mbappe, Kevin de Bruyne, and Vinicius have had remarkable seasons, but the two players going head-to-head for the prize are Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

It promises to be a unique Ballon d’Or battle. The World Cup took place in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign, meaning it could be a distant memory by the time votes are cast in August. Sports Brief analyses the two contenders.

Erling Haaland

The Manchester City star smashed a number of records in the course of the season and capped it with the Champions League title.

Erling Haaland names the Arsenal star who should have won Player of the Year

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• Premier League winner
• FA Cup winner
• Champions League winner

Individual awards in his first season at Manchester City:

• Premier League Golden Boot winner
• Premier League Player of the Season

Lionel Messi:

Since 2006, it was only in 2022 that Messi failed to make the top three nominees for the Ballon d’Or. It will be different this time, asthe 35-year-old helped his national team to their first FIFA World Cup win since 1986.

• FIFA World Cup
• French Ligue 1

Individual awards:

• FIFA Men's Best Player of 2022

Haaland names his toughest opponent

Sports Brief earlier reported that Erling Haaland has named the toughest opponent he has faced in his maiden season in England.

It has been a season of epic proportions for the striker, who hit the ground running straight away after arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.

He has, however, admitted that he had met his match when playing against some of the defenders in the Premier League. The Norwegian had glowing praise for Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk.