Pep Guardiola picks Ballon d'Or 2023 winner: Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland?

Haaland could become the first Premier League player after Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or

When questioned if Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland should receive this year's Ballon d'Or, Pep Guardiola responded that Messi ought to have his own class, but also said he wants Haaland to bring the prized asset of football.

Having guided Argentina to World Cup victory last year, Messi, who lately left Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami, is the frontrunner to win the trophy for a record-extending seventh time.

Haaland, who assisted Manchester City in winning the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup this past season, could be his biggest competition for the award after scoring 52 goals in 53 games.

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, coached the Norwegian attacker Haaland while he was Messi's coach at Barcelona.

"Egotistically I would say Erling because he helped us achieve what we achieved. I would love it. But if Leo wins, they won the World Cup. It's nice so many players from Man City will be there for the first time in many years and challenging. That makes us so proud."

"Always I said that the Ballon D'or should be in two sections, one for Messi, and after look for the other one, so Haaland should win, yes," Guardiola said on Friday.

"We won the treble because he scored 50 million goals but of course Messi, if you tell me the worst season for Messi is the best for the rest of the players.

"Both deserve it, so what can I say?"

When both of them worked together at Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, Messi enjoyed a few of the greatest seasons of his club occupation, and in Qatar last December, the star forward led Argentina to a World Cup victory.

Haaland, who joined the Etihad from Dortmund in the summer of 2022, scored 52 goals in 53 appearances in his first season there as he assisted City in winning an unprecedented treble under Guardiola.

Of course, there are two sides who are rooting for their favourite player to win the Ballon d'Or. It is a big debatable issue and to say Messi deserves the award after leading his nation to the World Cup to mark his international career it makes sense what is the bigger prize than the FIFA World Cup?

Haaland is young and has plenty of years ahead of him and if he continues with the same performance then certainly he will soon get his hands on that coveted prize, but it's very unlikely he will win this year's Ballon d'Or.