Haaland vs Messi vs Mbappe; who deserves the Ballon D'Or?

The fight for the Ballon d'Or officially begins. France Football has already published its list of nominees for this award, which highlights the presence of three of the great favourites, such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Faced with this situation, we review the merits that each player made to be a candidate for the Ballon d'Or this season.

The French case is the most complicated of the three. The French footballer was key to obtaining a new Ligue 1 with PSG, as well as the French Super Cup. However, in the UEFA Champions League, the club was in debt. However, the player is considered for his spectacular World Cup, where he led France to the final and was the tournament's top scorer with 8 goals.

In the case of Haaland, there is little doubt about his candidacy. The Norwegian from Manchester City is the other big favorite to win the 2022-23 Ballon d'Or. His debut season in Pep Guardiola's team has been practically unbeatable. League, Cup and Champions and top scorer in each of these competitions. For this reason, many place it as the favorite to take it with them.

Can Messi win the Ballon d'Or?

In the case of Lionel Messi, there is a divided opinion. The Argentine's club season wasn't bad, but he hasn't been worthy of a Ballon d'Or either, especially due to his poor performance in the UEFA Champions League. However, Messi achieved the most important title in his entire career when he won the World Cup with Argentina being the best player in the entire tournament. A fact that places him as a candidate to win said Ballon d'Or.