Ballon d'Or: When Popular YouTuber Said Messi Should Not Win Award This Year

• France Football has released the final shortlist for the 2023 Ballon d’Or
• Lionel Messi is tipped as the heavy favourite to clinch his eighth award
• A popular Youtuber has weighed in on why the veteran should not win

France Football released the final 30-man shortlist for the 2023 Ballon d’Or in September, headlined by Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland - both seen as favourites to win the award.

The shortlist also featured other prominent players, such as Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. and Al-Ittihad's Karim Benzema. However, the absence of five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo has previously sparked intense debate.

While many pundits and journalists seem to lean towards Messi as the top contender for the prize, there was a differing opinion from YouTube sensation, Mark Goldbridge, who believed the Inter Miami captain was not a deserving recipient of the award.

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YouTuber says Messi should not win Ballon d’Or

Goldbridge, who also doubles as a Manchester United fan, previously stated Messi should not win the coveted award, referencing a scenario that panned out with France winning the World Cup and Luka Modric clinching the award in 2018.

Speaking in a video shared on his YouTube channel last month, the presenter said:

"I don’t understand why Messi is the landslide winner unless we’re doing it on sentimentality that he’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game. And that’s not what it should all be about. And people will say, well, he won the World Cup."

Further bolstering his claim with the happenings around the award in 2018, Goldbridge added:

"You know France won the World Cup in 2018 and Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or. He played in the final; he was a runner-up; he had a very good season."

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Goldbridge's argument is based on the past precedent set by the Croatian veteran, in which winning football's greatest prize did not equate to football's top individual accolade.

As reported by Goal, Messi is chasing the award for a record-extending eighth time after missing out on a nomination in 2022, while his closest competitor, Haaland hopes to clinch his maiden prize.

Ballon d’Or: Messi to beat Haaland?

Sports Brief previously reported on why Messi holds the Ballon d’Or advantage over Haaland despite the Man City star's record-breaking season both on a personal level and with his team.

It was posited the Argentine starred in a host of other major football games aside from the World Cup, compared to the Norwegian’s lesser outings in big games like the Champions League.