Ballon D'or: Pep Guardiola Chooses Between Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland

• Pep Guardiola appears to have endorsed Lionel Messi for an eighth Ballon d’Or
• The Spaniard singled out Messi’s World Cup achievement in his Friday presser
• Messi faces fierce competition from Guardiola’s Man City striker Erling Haaland

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola appeared to back Lionel Messi to win a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or, joking there needs to be a separate accolade for the Argentine.

Messi is a huge favourite to win football's top individual prize but faces stiff competition from Erling Haaland, who was key for Guardiola’s treble success at Manchester City last season.

The Norwegian bagged an impressive 52 goals for the Citizens last season, while on the other hand, the Argentine played a key role in his country's World Cup triumph in Qatar.

With the most prestigious individual award in men’s football only 10 days away, Guardiola was asked who he would vote for and his answer was quite interesting.

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While the Man City boss said Haaland deserved it for scoring '50 million goals', he also seemed to suggest the Norwegian stood little chance against seven-time winner Messi thanks to the Argentine’s World Cup feat.

"I always said the Ballon d’Or should have two sections: one for Messi and one for everyone else,” he said as cited by the BBC.

Guardiola does believe Haaland's goal-scoring heroics should put him in line for the award, but there was a caveat.

"But the worst season for Messi is the best for the rest of the players. Both deserve it. I want Haaland to have it because he helped us achieve what we achieved.

"But Messi won the World Cup," he added.

Guardiola briefly managed Messi when he was at the peak of his powers at Barcelona.

The Man City manager's sentiments came ahead of a tricky Premier League fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion. His team, who slipped to third on the log after back-to-back defeats, will be hoping their Ballon d’Or hopeful Haaland is in firing form to inspire the team to victory.

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According to the Premier League's official website, Haaland leads the line in terms of EPL top scorers with eight goals, two ahead of his nearest rivals, Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min.

By the Norwegian’s standards, however, he is in somewhat of a rough patch as he has not found the net since September 23, when his side beat Nottingham Forest 2-0.

The youngest winners of the Ballon d'Or

Sports Brief also previously looked at the six youngest Ballon d'Or winners as Haaland aims to make the list.

The prestigious award was inaugurated in 1956 by Gabriel Hanot, a former footballer and renowned columnist.

The first-ever Ballon d'Or winner was Stanley Matthews, an English football legend for Blackpool Football Club.