What a Premier League legend says about the Ballon d'Or for Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are the big favorites to win the Ballon d'Or this season. The Argentine and the Norwegian have placed themselves significantly in the last year and for many, they are the big favorites to win the award. However, some are already expressing their opinion about injustices regarding a possible victory for the Argentine footballer. For many, Messi would not deserve to win this award.

But for former Chelsea, Celtic, Derby County player, among others, Craig Burley, there are no doubts. Erling should be the winner of said award and he made it very clear in an interview for ESPN in the United Kingdom. “If Haaland doesn't win the Ballon d'Or, we have to close the store. Messi won the World Cup, and it is a great achievement, but in a period of four weeks. His performance in the league was not the best. His thing with PSG was terrible,” says the Scot.

Three titles, 52 goals in 53 games and 9 assists are the numbers of Erling Haaland who will seek to beat the odds and thus win his first Ballon d'Or. The Norwegian player landed on his feet in his first season at Manchester City and is the alternative to Leo Messi. Even Lionel Messi already thinks about what would happen if he doesn't win the award.

What does Messi say about the Ballon d'Or?

“Throughout my career I have said it many times, although it is a very important award for what the recognition represents, one of the most beautiful awards on an individual level, but I never gave it so much importance in quotes, the most important thing for me “They were always collective awards, group-level awards,” he said. “I was lucky to have achieved everything in my career, and you can imagine that after having won the World Cup, which was what I was missing, I am thinking much less about that award,” confessed Messi.