Ballon D’Or: Ex Chelsea Midfielder Wants Haaland To Win Award Ahead of Messi

• Lionel Messi and Eling Haaland are the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or award this year
• The duo will come up against 28 other players who have been nominated for the accolade
• Bukayo Saka, Kevin De Bruyne, and Jude Bellingham are among the other stars shortlisted

Erling Haaland has been told not to attend future Ballon d'Or ceremonies if Lionel Messi wins the 2023 edition of the award ahead of him.

The two football stars are among 28 others nominated for the prestigious annual accolade.

According to The Mirror, the duo will be coming up against the likes of Bukayo Saka, Kevin De Bruyne, Emiliano Martinez, and Mohamed Salah, who have also been nominated for the gong.

However, there was no place for Cristiano Ronaldo, who missed out on a nomination for the first time in 20 years.

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As it stands, Messi and Haaland are the clear favourites to cart home the Ballon d'Or this year.

Will Haaland beat Messi to the award?

Opinion is largely divided on who between Haaland and Messi deserves to win the 2023 edition of the Ballon d'Or.

However, former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has inadvertently suggested Haaland deserves to win the crown ahead of Messi.

So much so that the ex-footballer has advised the City ace to snub future Ballon d'Or awards if Messi beats him to it.

“If Erling Haaland doesn’t win this, close the shop. Lionel Messi won the World Cup and it’s a great achievement, but it’s a four-week period. His general league form was not the best. PSG were terrible,” Burley told ESPN via The Mirror.

“This award, like a few awards, drives me nuts but he’s the one that deserves it but I think out there it will be full of sentimental claptrap - Messi won the World Cup, Messi’s this and Messi’s that, and they will just hand him another one. And if I was Erling Haaland, I would never go back to another Ballon d’Or in my life, same as Robert Lewandowski," he continued.

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Both players had a fantastic year, with Haaland winning the treble with Man City in his debut season for the club.

The Norwegian ace scored an eye-watering 36 Premier League goals to help City retain the domestic crown.

On his part, Messi, who has won the award a record seven times, inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.

Messi embarrasses Caicedo

Sports Brief also reported on how Messi tricked Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo with a sublime skill on Thursday.

The €115 million signing from Brighton and Hove Albion was turned inside out, with the former Barcelona man managing to keep the ball out of his grasp. Caicedo is known for his timely interceptions and ball retrievals but against the Argentine, he met his match.

Caicedo is known for his timely interceptions and ball retrievals but against the Argentine, he met his match.