The football player for Inter Miami is on his way to taking home his eighth Ballon d’Or trophy, but a legendary figure in the Premier League feels that another football player is more worthy.
Michail Antonio of West Ham United has reacted angrily to claims that Lionel Messi will take home the 2023 Ballon d’Or trophy this year after the results were “leaked”. According to the Premier League player, it would be a “scandal” if the World Cup champion took home one of the sport’s most coveted honours for the seventh time in his remarkable career.
Following yet another spectacular year, in which he won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar, Messi has been predicted to take home the Ballon d’Or award. After spending two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, where he won two straight Ligue 1 titles, the former Barcelona star made an unexpected move to the MLS team Inter Miami.
In just 14 games, the 36-year-old has already scored 11 goals and provided five assists for Miami. The iconic football player also had a key role in the team’s Leagues Cup victory, which was its first prize.
However, Antonio feels that Erling Haaland of Manchester City is a better candidate for the honour despite his own achievements.
“I know Messi’s World Cup victory is huge,” Antonio stated on the Footballer’s Football Podcast. “But you can’t ignore a team that won three titles and the record-breaking additions Haaland made to it. He merits that Order of Merit. It’s a scandal if he doesn’t understand it.”
Callum Wilson, a forward for Newcastle United and co-host of the show, concurred with the assertion. “What Haaland did last season can’t be overlooked,” he stated. “Haaland ought to be the winner if you remove international football from the equation and compare statistically.
“You can’t look past Messi winning his first World Cup as it’s a big contributing factor, but club football-wise he’s been playing in America which is very different to Haaland in the Premier League.”
In addition to Messi, who would become the first player from Major League Soccer to win the trophy, Haaland is competing for the Ballon d’Or best men’s player award alongside Rodri, his Manchester City colleague, and Kylian Mbappe of PSG. Though Haaland makes a compelling argument as well, there have been numerous rumours claiming that Messi has already been informed of his victory.
In his 35 Premier League games last season, the Norwegian scored 36 goals, smashing the records held by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, who combined for 34 goals in 42 games. The striker won the treble with the team—the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup—scoring 52 goals overall in all competitions.
On Monday, October 30, at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner will be revealed.