He must win the Ballon d'Or — Arsenal legend Henry makes bold claim

Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are the two frontrunners for the 2023 Ballon d'Or and the winner will be announced in Paris on October 30.

Legendary Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry has thrown his weight behind Messi, insisting the Argentine deserves to win the award for a record 8th time, ahead of Haaland.

“I mean a lot of people can debate that but for me if you win the World Cup, the way he did it, we can talk about what happened in the final. As a Frenchman, I was a little bit disappointed with how it finished but you can’t say that it isn’t deserved if he wins it," Henry said on CBS Sports.

 “A lot of people can claim that Man City players, Haaland, and some other players can also say ‘Why not me?’ but you can’t say that it’s not right if he wins it.

Asked by fellow pundit Jamie Carragher who he believes should win the Ballon d'Or, Henry then responded:

 "For me, Messi. Bye. Over.”

Lionel Messi had a sensational 2022-2023, leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar and winning the French league title with Paris Saint-Germain.