The Best: Messi beaten by Haaland?

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By: Nicolas Gerbault

Messi, mysterious hospital exams

Favorite for the next Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi does not leave with the favor of the predictions for The Best trophy, the finalists of which have just been announced.

Lionel Messi has already achieved the Ballon d’Or-The Best double in 2009 and 2019, when the two trophies were not unified. But for this year, it looks complicated for the former Barcelona player.

Messi is, however, the big favorite for the next Ballon d’Or, which should be awarded to him for the eighth time, thanks to Argentina’s victory in the World Cup. But for The Best, there is a radical difference. If the Ballon d’Or rewards the best player of the 2022-2023 season, the prize awarded by Fifa only concerns the period from December 19, 2022 to August 20, 2023. The World Cup is therefore not taken taken into account, and cannot be credited to Messi or other Argentine players.

In these conditions, The Best trophy should logically go to a player from the team which achieved the FA Cup-Premier League-Champions League treble, Manchester City. The Skyblues also place six elements in the 12 finalists, Julian Alvarez, Rodri, Ilkay Gündogan, Bernardo Silva and the big favorites Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.

Lionel Messi therefore only has his performances with PSG and Inter Miami to claim The Best trophy, which could be a little light. The other finalists are Kylian Mbappé (top scorer and best player in Ligue 1), Marcelo Brozovic (finalist in the Champions League and Nations League), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Italian champion and best player in Serie A), Victor Osimhen (Italian champion and top scorer in Serie A) as well as the surprising Declan Rice (winner of the Europa Conference League).

Nicolas Gerbault

Written by:

Nicolas Gerbault

Nicolas Gerbault is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Nicolas discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team. As an author for the website, his expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Nicolas enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans.