Seven-time winner Lionel Messi and Man City striker Erling Haaland are among the favourites to land the 2023 Ballon d’Or after being included on the 30-man shortlist
Erling Haaland has been told to snub the Ballon d’Or ceremony for life if he is not handed this year’s award.
Haaland is one of seven Manchester City players on the 30-man shortlist for the annual gong, which will be revealed in Paris on October 30. For the first time in 20 years there is no place on the list for five-time winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, who spent 2023 playing in the Saudi Pro League.
But his old adversary, Lionel Messi, who has won the award seven times, is already many people’s favourite to make that eight next month after the now-36-year-old capped his trophy-laden career with the World Cup in Qatar last December. However, former Chelsea and Scotland midfielder, Craig Burley, reckons there should be only one name on the minds of anyone when it comes to handing over the Ballon d’Or trophy.
“If Erling Haaland doesn’t win this, close the shop,” Burley told ESPN. “Lionel Messi won the World Cup and it’s a great achievement, but it’s a four-week period. His general league form was not the best. PSG were terrible.
“Erling Haaland? Over 50 goals, a Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. Erling Haaland should win this award. I know that a lot of people out there can’t get off the Messi bandwagon but look at the bigger picture.
“There’s going to be a lot of muppet journos voting for Messi. The big picture here is that Erling Haaland achieved everything over a long period of time.
“This award, like a few awards, drives me nuts but he’s the one that deserves it but I think out there it will be full of sentimental claptrap – Messi won the World Cup, Messi’s this and Messi’s that, and they will just hand him another one. And if I was Erling Haaland, I would never go back to another Ballon d’Or in my life, same as Robert Lewandowski.”
Lionel Messi is looking for an eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023 ( Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
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For the women’s award, England’s Rachel Daly, Georgia Stanway, Millie Bright and Mary Earps are on the shortlist following their run to the World Cup final. Goalkeeper Earps won the Golden Glove after keeping four clean sheets in the tournament while Daly was also the top scorer in the Women’s Super League last season.
Aitana Bonmati, who last week was named the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, is one of six female nominees from Spain. Bonmati led Spain to their Women’s World Cup triumph last month. “Grateful & proud to be nominated alongside great players,” Bonmati said on social media.
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Men’s 2023 Ballon d’Or shortlist
André Onana (Man Utd), Josko Gvardiol (Man City), Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Mo Salah (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham ( Real Madrid ), Bukayo Saka ( Arsenal ), Randal Kolo Muani (PSG), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Bernardo Silva (Man City), Emi Martínez (Aston Villa), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli), Ruben Dias (Man City), Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Erling Haaland (Man City), Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal), Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal), Julián Álvarez Man City), Ilkay Gündogan ( Barcelona ), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Rodri (Man City), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Kim Min-jae (Napoli), Victor Osimhen (Napoli), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich).
