Ballon D'or: Fabrizio Romano Confirms Winner of Award Between Messi and Haaland

• Lionel Messi is set to collect an 8th Ballon d’Or, according to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano
• The Argentine, 36, is set to beat Erling Haaland to the most prestigious individual player award
• Messi won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar in December 2022

Lionel Messi is poised to win a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or, according to football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is set to be held on Monday, October 30 in France, and according to Romano, everything is in place for Messi to win the accolade, which is given to the best football player on the planet.

Messi is up against treble-winning Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, whose debut season with the Cityzens was stellar.

At City, Haaland helped Pep Guardiola’s side win a continental treble, scoring 52 goals in 53 games across all competitions in the process.

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Other finalists for the award include Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona’s Ilkay Gundogan, and 2022 World Cup top scorer Kylian Mbappe.

En route to winning the World Cup, Messi almost single-handedly guided his team to the most coveted trophy on earth, finishing just one goal behind Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.

For Paris Saint-Germain, he scored 21 goals and registered 21 assists in 41 games as the French giants won yet another Ligue 1 title, as per Transfermarkt.

Last week, reports were rife that Messi’s family had already been informed of his impending accolade.

“Understand all the indications are set to be confirmed but Messi will be the final winner once again. Official decision to be unveiled Monday night in Paris,” Romano tweeted on Wednesday, October 25.

Messi won seven Ballon d’Ors at Barcelona, before leaving the club for PSG in 2021.

Critics of the Argentine star have in the past argued that the World Cup was the only thing keeping him from achieving ultimate football greatness, as it was perceived as a trophy that would “complete football”.

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Inzaghi backs Martinez for Ballon d’Or

Sports Brief also reported on Simeone Inzaghi’s interesting pick for the Ballon d’Or winner as he snubbed both Messi and Haaland.

Inzaghi contends there is no player more deserving of the award than Lautaro Martinez.

The forward bagged 28 goals and 11 assists in 57 games across all competitions for Inter, as his side won the Coppa Italia and made it to the final of the UEFA Champions League.