Ballon d’Or: Fans Disclose Why Lionel Messi Should Not Win Award Ahead of Erling Haaland, Video

• Lionel Messi is set to win his eighth Ballon d'Or award after a wonderful year with club and country
• The Argentine superstar is up against Erling Haaland and former teammate Kylian Mbappe for the award
• Some fans believe that the ex-Barcelona forward shouldn't win the accolade ahead of the Manchester City star

Some sets of fans have shared their opinion on why Manchester City forward Erling Haaland should win the 2023 Ballon d'Or award ahead of Lionel Messi on Monday, October 30.

The Norwegian international is up against Messi and Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe for the award, but several rumours are claiming the Argentine veteran will be crowned the winner later today.

The reports of Messi winning the award ahead of Haaland have drawn different reactions from football fans globally.

In a recent video posted by GOAL on their social media pages, a football fan claimed that Messi winning the award ahead of Haaland would be "the biggest robbery ever", while another feels that the former PSG star might win the award. One said:

Ex-Chelsea star criticises Lionel Messi's potential Ballon d'Or victory

Football

"If Erling Haaland doesn't win it, that's got to be one of the biggest robberies," he said.

"Well, I can't say it is not fair [If Messi wins it], because he won the World Cup, but it's Haaland, he came, and he won the treble, he smashed records, and he is one of the best strikers we've ever seen in the Premier League."

Another said:

"Haaland did do the treble with Manchester City, their first ever, I mean how incredible is the treble? It is fantastic, but just because it's Messi, in my opinion, the greatest footballer of all time, the sentiment will value that he won the World Cup, I think he's going to get it."

How Ballon d'Or voting works

Sports Brief previously reported that the Golden Ball is football's most prestigious individual award - an honour reserved for the sport's elite, granted to only a select few in their careers.

When Mourinho explained why Messi would beat Ronaldo to Ballon d'Or count

Football

In 2021, significant changes were made to the Ballon d'Or rules after Messi's seventh title, with the award no longer taking into account achievements in a calendar year, but rather in a season.

From the pool of 30 players, a group of international journalists and captains from FIFA's top-ranked 100 nations then choose their top five, with each vote collecting different points based on their position.