Manchester City star midfielder says Messi deserves Ballon d’Or 2023: “Don’t tell Haaland”

With the Ballon d’Or gala set to kick off in a matter of minutes, all the guests and dignitaries are making their way to the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.

For a while now, it has been clear that the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner would be one among Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

The former Barcelona captain and footballing legend enjoyed a memorable past year or so, starting with the FIFA World Cup 2022 triumph with Argentina in December last year before winning the Ligue 1 title with PSG earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Erling Haaland fired Manchester City to a historic treble of the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and the FA Cup in his very first season with the club, scoring goals by the bucketload.

However, speaking on the Ballon d’Or gala red carpet, Haaland’s Manchester City teammate, and a contender for the Golden Ord, Rodri, has claimed that Messi deserves to win the prestigious honour.

“Who deserves the Ballon d’Or? Messi. Don’t tell Haaland,” Rodri said (h/t BeFootball).

Even though it has not been officially confirmed, everything indicates that Messi will be returning home with Ballon d’Or number eight tonight.