The 2023 Ballon d’Or prize is one of the most anticipated awards of the year. According to PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Kylian Mbappe should win the Ballon d’Or. Strangely, there was no mention of former PSG player Lionel Messi, another worthy nominee.
Most people believe that Mbappe, Messi, and Manchester City attacker Erling Haaland are the three front-runners for the prestigious award, especially the latter two.
Despite having a quiet season at PSG, Lionel Messi shone for Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. La Albiceleste overcame their 36-year World Cup drought thanks to Messi’s seven goals and three assists in seven games, including one goal in each knockout round.
Erling Haaland, on the other hand, shone last season when City became just the second English team to win the continental treble with an incredible 52 goals in all competitions. In the 38-game Premier League season, he set a record for goals scored with 36 and added 12 more goals in the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappe did well for both his club and his country, scoring 41 goals for PSG in various competitions. He also contributed eight goals for France at the World Cup, including three in the championship shootout loss to Argentina. This brought an end to France’s title defence.
As per RMC Sport, Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in an interview:
“We have the best player in the world, and I think he deserves the Ballon d’Or.”