Ballon d’Or 2023: Lothar Matthaus Claims Argentina Hero Did Not Deserve To Win 8th Golden Ball

• Lothar Matthaus believes Lionel Messi should not have won the 2023 Ballon d'Or
• The former Germany international argues that Erling Haaland had a better season than Messi
• Haaland instead settled for the Gerd Muller Trophy, awarded to the highest-scoring male player

German football legend, Lothar Matthaus has voiced his dissent, asserting that Lionel Messi was not deserving of the 2023 Ballon d'Or accolade.

A former recipient of the Golden Ball prize in 1990, Matthaus remains adamant that Messi should not have been awarded the highly coveted individual honour, instead favouring Manchester City striker Erling Haaland for the recognition.

Haaland's outstanding performances, marked by an impressive tally of 52 goals in 53 matches across various competitions, including 36 goals in the Premier League, underscored his remarkable proficiency on the field, as cited by the BBC.

Notably, his instrumental role in propelling Manchester City to their first-ever Champions League triumph during Pep Guardiola's treble-winning campaign further solidified his claim to the prestigious award.

Lionel Messi: Argentine star reportedly 'wins eighth Ballon d'Or' after World Cup success

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Despite the Norwegian hitman's exceptional achievements, they were overshadowed by Lionel Messi's stellar display at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where the former Barcelona and PSG star led Argentina to its first global victory since 1986.

Regardless of a comparatively subdued club performance, Messi outshone competitors Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to secure his eighth Ballon d'Or title, setting an unprecedented record.

In expressing his viewpoint on Messi's triumph, Matthaus remains firm in his belief that the Norwegian international exhibited superior performance compared to the Argentine captain.

"Over the whole of last year, Haaland performed better than Lionel Messi," he told Sky, as quoted by Sportskeeda.

Matthaus added: "It’s undeserved that Messi won. But that shows that a World Cup counts more than anything else."

The former footballer, self-proclaimed as a devoted Messi fan, criticized the choice to overlook Haaland, deeming it a 'mockery'.

"For me, Haaland is the best player of the last twelve months; won major titles with Manchester City ( Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in England) and broke goalscoring records in the process. For me, there is no way around Haaland. The choice is a farce, even though I am a Messi fan."

Rodri backs Lionel Messi to win 2023 Ballon d'Or ahead of Erling Haaland

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Messi receives heroic welcome after Ballon d'Or success

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Messi received a heartwarming welcome from his Inter Miami teammates following his return from Paris after winning his eighth Ballon d'Or title.

In a video shared on social media, Messi was welcomed by his teammates with a beautifully carved placard showing the number eight and the signatures of the players.