Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland? With the Ballon d'Or in mind, Pep Guardiola has chosen his side: both! Questioned this Friday in a press conference, on the sidelines of Manchester City's return to competition against Brighton in the Premier League (Saturday at 16pm), the Citizens coach used irony to answer a journalist's question asking him for his vote.
"Ha ha ha, you're so funny... The Spaniard, who currently coaches Haaland at City and managed Messi for three seasons at Barcelona (2008-2012), initially squeaked.
"The Ballon d'Or was supposed to have two sections. One for Messi, and then we look at the others. So Haaland should win, yes. He won the treble and scored 50 million goals," Guardiola replied, referring to the three trophies he won (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League) and the 52 goals scored in 51 games by his Norwegian striker last season.
🏆 Guardiola: 'The Ballon d'Or was to be divided into two sections: one for Messi, and then another' #Interview #beinsports pic.twitter.com/YUUZ4xEUbx
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The 52-year-old coach, who is not keen on individual accolades, reiterated his admiration for Messi, with whom he won two Champions Leagues and three Spanish championships during their years together in Catalonia. "Messi's worst season would be the best for others. Both deserve it, so what can I say? ", he concluded, about the duel announced between the two men for the next Ballon d'Or, awarded on October 30 in Paris.
Lionel Messi, who won the World Cup with Argentina on 18 December 2022 and was voted the tournament's best player, is the favourite to win an eighth title, while Haaland is seeking the individual award for the first time. The two players are among the thirty nominated to succeed Frenchman Karim Benzema, winner in 2022. The case of Kylian Mbappé was not mentioned during this exchange.