The LIST of nominees for the 2023 Balon d’Or was released last week. Now, the debate about who is most worthy of receiving this award is focused on two names: Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland. These two figures are the strongest candidates because of their respective great achievements throughout the 2022-23 season. The difference is, one is at club level and the other is at national team level.
No one will deny how extraordinary Haaland’s performance was last season. The young man from Norway set several astonishing records in his debut in the 2022-23 Premier League. Signed by Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund ahead of the start of the new season, Haaland immediately made a splash. He even set a record in just the first 5 weeks.
Haaland scored a total of 9 goals in the opening five matches of the 2022-23 Premier League, making him the highest goal scorer in the first five weeks in EPL history. Haaland’s achievement broke the previous record held by Sergio Aguero in the 2016-17 season. Thus, Haaland’s score is a new record at both club and league level.
As if that wasn’t enough, Haaland then set another new record in terms of productivity. He became the fastest EPL player to score two hat-tricks, in just four days!
After that, Haaland was like a monster in the opponent’s penalty box. He became the top scorer for the 2022-23 season with a total of 36 goals from 35 matches, again a new record in Premier League history. Even in the Champions League, his sharpness is unmatched. The son of former Norwegian national team player Alfie Haaland is also the top scorer, collecting a total of 12 goals from 11 games.
Thanks to Haaland’s goal contribution, Man. City achieved a treble by winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles. The latter is a historic title because it is the first for The Citizens. Thanks to his sharpness, Haaland also won a number of individual awards. He was awarded the European Golden Shoe, then selected as UEFA Men’s Player of the Year. Not including the FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Players’ Player of the Year awards.
In contrast to Haaland, last season Messi did not really stand out at club level. Even though he helped Paris Saint-Germain win Ligue 1, the Argentine midfielder’s role was less significant. What I mean is this, with or without Messi, it seems like the title will still belong to PSG last season. After all, Le Parisien still has Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as mainstays.
The proof is that Messi appeared less than impressive in his debut season in Paris, where he received a lot of criticism. In fact, PSG is still able to win Ligue 1 2021-22. Even at that time PSG’s points collection was 15 points different from Marseille in second place. Shows how superior Mauricio Pochettino’s team was in the league. In terms of goal contributions, Messi’s score last season was no match for Haaland. If Haaland scored 36 goals in the Premier League alone, Messi’s collection is 38 goals in all competitions.
Then Man. Haaland’s City beat Inter Milan in the final to win the club’s first Champions League title, while Messi’s PSG lost in the Round of 16. Lost to Bayern Munich with an aggregate score of 0-3. PSG’s achievement was a repeat of the previous season. If in 2021-22 Messi contributed a total of 5 goals in the Champions League, last season this decreased to only 3 goals. Does this mean Haaland is above Messi in the race for the Balon d’Or title this year? Wait a minute.
One thing that has not been compared since earlier is… the ages of the two players. Factors that make the performance of both of them look mixed. Haaland is only 23 years old, at the beginning of his best phase as a footballer. Meanwhile, Messi has three heads, aka he is in a phase of declining performance. Considering the age factor, what Messi has achieved is still considered special. There are not many veteran footballers like Messi who can score dozens of goals like that.
Then one thing that became a trump card for Messi, making him surpass all of Haaland’s achievements last season, was the World Cup title won in Qatar in December 2022. The World Cup is the ultimate dream, the most prestigious competition for a footballer. Never mind winning it, just being able to appear as a contestant makes me very proud. It was at this point that the situation reversed, where Messi far outperformed Haaland. When the young Norwegian couldn’t even get his country to qualify for Qatar, Messi brought Argentina as champions.
Messi doesn’t just act as a trophy lifter on the championship podium. This man who was born in Rosario plays a big role in almost every Argentine match. The only match where Messi seemed invisible was when Argentina was defeated by Saudi Arabia. After scoring a penalty in the opening match of the group phase, the captain seemed to have lost his mind. But after that, Messi always looked crazy. Just look at the decisive match against Mexico, where Messi’s persistence started Argentina’s victory.
Messi was again the engine of victory in the round of 16 against Australia. Just try watching again how the Albiceleste’s first goal occurred in that match. Absolutely topnotch. Messi’s central role for Argentina was validated by being awarded the tournament’s Best Player title. Followed by the 2023 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award last May.
On the contrary, Haaland actually drowned in Man’s important parties. City are on their way to winning the Champions League. As proof, the Man of the Match title in the final match went to Rodri who was also selected as the best player in the tournament.
So, will Messi get his eighth Balon d’Or trophy and make Haaland bite the bullet? Or, conversely, will Haaland again surpass the achievements of an Argentinian, like he did with Aguero?
ASL
