Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are at the top of the list of people who could win the Ballon d’Or in 2023.

The race for the Ballon d’Or is getting hotter as the 2022/23 football season comes to a close.
The organizers of the award changed the timeline to include the traditional European league season. This means that for the 2022/23 Ballon d’Or, achievements from August 2022 to July 2023 will be taken into account.

That includes the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Qatar and was won by Argentina. Lionel Messi was in charge of the team. He has won seven Ballon d’Or awards, which is more than any other player has won in the history of the award.

But Erling Haaland, who is 22 years old, keeps scoring goals during a magical season. This will test the voters’ resolve and could lead to a fight of importance between the national team and his club.

Ballon d’Or 2023 odds

Lionel Messi is in the lead for the Ballon d’Or in 2023. He led Argentina to its third World Cup win and his first in his career.

Messi’s club season has been a mixed bag. PSG fans sometimes booed him as his team crashed out of the UEFA Champions League and stumbled toward the Ligue 1 title. Still, he is in great shape, having helped score more than 40 goals in all categories this season.

But Erling Haaland’s record-setting season in the Premier League has put the Norwegian right behind Messi and close to the Premier League single-season record for goals scored.
It’s a two-horse race between these two players, and no one else has much chance of taking the crown.

Last year’s winner Karim Benzema, Messi’s club partner Kylian Mbappe, Manchester United star Marcus Rashford, Brazil’s Vinicius Jr., and Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne are also in the running.

On that list, there are players who have had great seasons and others who seem to be there more because of their name, but no one has done as well as Messi and Haaland.

Who is the winner of the most Ballon d’Ors?

Lionel Messi is the player who has won the Ballon d’Or the most times, with seven. Behind him with five Ballon d’Ors is Messi’s longtime foe Cristiano Ronaldo.

Only 10 players in history have won more than one Ballon d’Or. 34 other players have also won the Ballon d’Or once during their careers.

More Articles. Lionel Messi becomes the first player to win the Golden Ball twice, but Kylian Mbappe takes the Golden Boot.