Messi’s True Feelings About 2023 Ballon d’Or Revealed As Haaland Leads Chasing Pack

• Lionel Messi appears to be unconcerned about individual accolades
• Despite Messi's lack of interest in the Ballon d'Or, he still stands as the top contender to secure the highly sought-after award this year
• He will, however, face tough competition from Erling Haaland

Lionel Messi has claimed that the Ballon d'Or prize is of little significance to him at this point of his glistening career.

Having recently concluded his tenure in Europe by joining MLS team Inter Miami, Messi is considered the frontrunner for the 2023 award, which will be presented in October, with the treble-winning Erling Haaland leading the chasing pack.

While his remarkable performance on the grand stage of the World Cup compensates for his underwhelming stint with PSG, which resulted only in a Ligue 1 triumph, Haaland, the prolific Manchester City striker, also stands a fair chance at claiming the coveted award, per Daily Post.

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When questioned about the possibility of securing an unprecedented eighth Ballon d'Or, the 35-year-old indicated that he no longer yearns for the Golden Ball accolade, emphasizing instead the importance of collective achievements like the World Cup.

"Does the Ballon d'Or matter to me? No, it's no longer important to me," he told Titan Sports in China, as quoted by GOAL.

"I've always said the individual prizes are not what matters to me, but the collective ones are the most important. The most important prize at the moment is the World Cup, the greatest prize for me."

Why is Messi favourite?

Haaland is expected to give seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi a run for his money in October, but as Sports Brief notes, Messi might still have an advantage over the 22-year-old.

Messi is believed to be making a beeline for a record-extending eighth title after he led Argentina to a World Cup victory in December last year.

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However, he has received solid competition from Haaland, who starred in a flawless Manchester City side that completed the historic treble.

Biggest Ballon d'Or 'robberies'

Undoubtedly, the 2023 Ballon d'Or race will be a heated one, and Sports Brief looks at some of the most controversial calls in history.

Wesley Sneijder's 2010 Ballon d'Or snub sparked controversy as the playmaker was involved in every trophy Inter Milan won.

Franck Ribery had a similar case to be made against Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013 after winning the treble with Bayern Munich.