Lionel Messi remains bookies frontrunner to win Ballon d'Or ahead of Erling Haaland

The Argentine searches his eight individual glory

Considering Manchester City's unprecedented treble victory, Lionel Messi still has the edge over Erling Haaland in the race for the 2023 Ballon d'Or.

After winning back-to-back Ligue 1 championships with PSG, Messi confirmed this week that he would be leaving the French club to join MLS team Inter Miami.

Lionel Messi's campaign not only saw Argentina claim the World Cup, but the 35-year-old also took home the competition's Player of the Year in Qatar.

Due to his achievements, the Argentine superstar is the favourite to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or, with Paddy Power giving him an 8/15 chance of taking home his eighth Ballon d'Or.

Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, the treble winners for Manchester City, are placed as 11/8 and 11/1, respectively, to win the Ballon d'Or, which is awarded at the end of the calendar year. Messi is overtaking them in the odds.

Thanks to his 52 goals for Manchester City in his rookie season, Haaland has already received the Football Writers Award for Player of the Year and been voted the Premier League Player of the Season.

Along with Kevin De Bruyne, who piled up another 16 top-flight assists, his goals allowed City to equal rival Manchester United in lifting the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in the exact same season.

Karim Benzema, the present Ballon d'Or champion, is listed after the top three contenders and is given odds of 80/1 to take home the trophy.

Behind the Frenchman, who recently signed an attractive deal with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad, are Kylian Mbappe of PSG and Harry Kane at 80/1.

In a poor year for Tottenham Hotspur, Kane scored 32 goals, setting records for both Spurs and England in 2023.

While Mbappe became just the second player in World Cup history to pick up a hat-trick in the championship game, scoring another 41 goals for PSG and winning the Golden Boot.