2023 Ballon d’Or Battle: Bent Gives 2 Reasons Messi Should Beat Haaland

• Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are locked in a battle for the 2023 Ballon d'Or
• Messi won the World Cup, while Haaland helped Manchester City to a treble
• Football stakeholders have been offering opinions on who should scoop the award

A little over a month away from today, the 2023 Ballon d'Or winner will be crowned, and it certainly will be one of Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland - the two leading candidates for the award.

Messi is staking a claim with his World Cup triumph with Argentina in Qatar and a league title win with Paris Saint-Germain. At the same time, Haaland helped Manchester City to a treble in his first season in English football, picking up both league and Champions League top scorer.

The Norwegian striker already picked up the UEFA Men's Player of the Year ahead of Messi and his Man City teammate Kevin De Bruyne, with the Argentine widely expected to win the ultimate prize.

Erling Haaland confident of beating Messi to win the Ballon d'Or

Football

Bent on why Messi will beat Haaland

Former Premier League striker Darren Bent is the latest football stakeholder to have a thought before the winner of the award is unveiled later next month.

Speaking on talkSPORT as quoted by Sportskeeda, the former Sunderland striker is tilted toward Messi and gave two reasons why he believes he would be crowned.

“He’s [Lionel Messi] the greatest player of this era. There are arguments about players before, but he’s the greatest player I’ve ever watched,” he said.

“He hasn’t been the best in the past 12 months, but in the World Cup, he carried his team to the World Cup final. He scored two in the final as well. The moment he lifted that World Cup, he was always going to win that Ballon d’Or.”

The Argentine has left Europe after ending his two-year stint at PSG. He joined David Beckham's Inter Miami in the MLS and has transformed the club on and off the pitch.

Ballon d'Or 2023: When YouTuber outlined reasons why Lionel Messi should not win award

Football

Griezmann makes Ballon d'Or pick

Sports Brief reported that Antoine Griezmann made his Ballon d'Or pick between the top two contenders for the award this year, and his choice tilted towards the man who denied him consecutive World Cups.

The French forward initially claimed he should win as he was nominated too. He recognised Haaland's achievement in his first season in English football but claimed the World Cup year should have only one winner.

Haaland admires Messi's dribbling

Sports Brief reported on Haaland wanting one attribute in Messi ahead of their showdown for the coveted Ballon d'Or later next month.

The Manchester City star was asked to name any player and pick one attribute in them, and it was gracious for him to pick Messi and name his dribbling as one attribute he wanted.