Pep Guardiola responds in familiar style to the Golden Ball issue: “Haaland should win, but Messi should get a separate section”

Manchester City had a fantastic season with the treble and has a deadly goal machine in Erling Haaland. But it seems that the Golden Ball will soon become a prey again for Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to the world title at the end of 2022.

Pep Guardiola, who coached the Argentine star footballer at Barcelona for many years, responded on Friday during a press chat before the match against Brighton with a quip when asked who he thinks deserves the Ballon d’Or this year. City has seven players on the shortlist with thirty names, including (the still injured) Kevin De Bruyne.

“It’s great that so many Manchester City players have a chance. That makes us all proud,” Guardiola said. But the chance that Messi will receive football’s most prestigious trophy for the eighth time seems high. “There should be two sections, one for Messi and one for the others,” the Spaniard laughed.

Erling Haaland seems to be the one to put the heat on Messi the most. “Haaland should win, yes. He won the treble, scored more than 50 million goals (sic) but of course it’s Messi. His worst season is the best of the others. They both deserve it. What more can I say?”

© REUTERS

The Ballon d’Or will be awarded on October 30 in Paris. Then we know the successor to the Frenchman Karim Benzema.

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