Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has voiced his belief that both Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are deserving candidates for this year’s Ballon d’Or award, which honors the world’s best soccer player.

Photo: Daily expressByBen McLeod

Messi, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, realized his lifelong dream by leading Argentina to victory at last year’s World Cup. Meanwhile, Haaland enjoyed a prolific debut season with Manchester City, helping the club secure a treble of trophies, including the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup titles, while scoring an impressive 52 goals.

Guardiola, who previously coached Messi at Barcelona and frequently referred to him as the greatest player of all time, finds it impossible to distinguish between the two players as the Ballon d’Or winner will be announced on October 30.

Messi’s worst season is the best of most players, says Guardiola

On Friday, the City manager expressed his belief that the Ballon d’Or should have always been divided into two categories: one for Messi and another for the rest of the players. He strongly advocated for Haaland to be the deserving winner, citing his impressive tally of 52 goals that played a crucial role in securing their treble victory. However, the manager acknowledged that even in Messi’s worst season, he outshines most players. In the manager’s eyes, both Messi and Haaland are deserving contenders for the prestigious award.

While openly disclosing his personal preference, the manager admitted that he would love to see Haaland win due to his instrumental contributions to their achievements. However, the manager emphasized that he would not perceive it as unfair if Messi ultimately emerged as the recipient of the award.

As for Messi’s own European soccer journey, it concluded in the previous season when he joined Inter Miami, an MLS team. In a short span of time, he guided the team to their first-ever trophy, the Leagues Cup.

Messi, Ronaldo share 12 Ballon d’Or awards since 2008

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have shared 12 Ballon d’Or titles since 2008, dominating the voting for more than a decade. However, as Messi and Ronaldo near the latter phases of their careers, there is expectation that young players like Haaland and Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain, who won the World Cup with France, will replace them as the sport’s biggest idols.

Despite his outstanding performance in the game, Mbappe, another outstanding prospect, has yet to win the Ballon d’Or or the Champions League championship.