If Erling Haaland fails to win the Ballon d’Or this year, he has been told to boycott the event for the rest of his life.
Haaland is one of seven Manchester City players on the 30-man shortlist for the annual award, which will be announced in Paris on October 30.
Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner who played in the Saudi Pro League in 2023, does not appear on the list for the first time in 20 years.
However, his old rival, Lionel Messi, who has won the award seven times, is already widely regarded as the favorite to win it for the eighth time next month, after the now-36-year-old completed his trophy-laden career with the World Cup in Qatar last December.
Craig Burley, a former midfielder for Scotland and Chelsea, however believes there should only one name on the minds of anyone when it comes to handing over the Ballon d’Or trophy.
Who Should Win The Ballon D’or?
“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.
Erling Haaland 🆚 Lionel Messi
Who 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 to win the Ballon d’Or?! 🏆⤵️ pic.twitter.com/65McYlczXB
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 7, 2023
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“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.”
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