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Erling Haaland adviced to boycott Ballon d'Or if he loses the award to Messi.
Manchester City star Erling Haaland has been asked to Boycott future Ballon d'Or award ceremonies if he loses out on the next edition to Lionel Messi by a former Chelsea player turned pundit.
The 22-year-old striker is more or less in a direct shootout with the Argentina international for the coveted France Football Best Men's Player award, and despite winning a treble and scoring 53 goals, Messi is seen as the favourite.
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05:51 - 08.09.2023
Messi magic enhances Ballon d'Or shout as Argentina beat Ecuador in World Cup qualifier
Argentina has kicked off its FIFA World Cup title defense with Lionel Messi stealing the show again against Ecuador in the qualifiers.
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19:35 - 07.09.2023
Angry sports fans blast Davido for picking Ronaldo over Messi in GOAT debate
'Stupid, can't sing' - Reactions as Afrobeats star Davido picks Ronaldo over Messi in GOAT debate.
Messi said to be favourite for Ballon d'Or
As Pulse Sports previously reported, Lionel Messi is currently the odds-on favourite to win the upcoming Ballon d'Or.
The shortlist for the coveted award will be revealed, with Messi and Haaland serving as the two leading contenders.
According to reports, Messi is currently in the lead to earn his eighth Golden Ball following a magnificent 2022 that was capped by the greatest footballing honour of all—the FIFA World Cup.
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Messi's spectacular performance in Qatar, where he scored seven goals (including two in the final), is likely to tip the trophy in his favour despite a dismal second half of the season with PSG.
Boycott the awards if you lose
Former Chelsea and Scotland international midfielder Craig Burley, who is now a pundit on ESPN, believes Haaland deserves to win the Ballon d'Or over Messi, as the Inter Miami man had an underwhelming club season.
Burley believes that Haaland had a superior body of work over the course of the period in review and urges him to boycott subsequent editions if he is not crowned the best player in the world.
“If Erling Haaland doesn’t win this, close the shop,” Burley said on ESPN, per the Daily Star.
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06:18 - 08.09.2023
Argentina vs Ecuador: 83, 000 fans watch Messi equal WCQ record with stunning free kick
Argentina's Lionel Messi has another record within his reach following an inspirational outing against Ecuador in the FIFA World Cup qualifier.
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14:30 - 07.09.2023
GOAT debate: Why Davido rates Ronaldo ahead of Messi
Chioma's husband Davido picks Ronaldo ahead of Messi.
“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.
“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 were Erling Haaland, I would never go back to another Ballon d’Or in my life, just like Robert Lewandowski.”
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15:21 - 06.09.2023
Lionel Messi: Argentina captain emerges as clear favourite to win Ballon d’Or ahead of Erling Haaland
Lionel Messi is currently the odds-on favourite to win the upcoming Ballon d'Or.
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21:12 - 05.09.2023
Ronaldo's pal Evra defends Messi after Van Gaal's rigged World Cup statement
Manchester United legend Patrice Evra defends Messi's World Cup performance amid criticism.
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18:25 - 05.09.2023
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Dutch national team captain Virgil Van Dijk comments on Louis Van Gaal claim that the World Cup was rigged for Messi.
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