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Fans said Lionel Messi should be awarded his eighth Ballon d’Or after Erling Haaland produced a poor performance in the Champions League final against Inter Milan on Saturday (June 10).
Manchester City beat Inter 1-0 at Istanbul’s Ataturk Stadium, with midfielder Rodri in the 68th minute scoring the winning goal. City have now won the Champions League for the first time and have also won the treble, having won the FA Cup and Premier League.
But Messi fans point out that Haaland didn’t make much of an impact in the semi-finals and final. While the Norwegian scored 52 goals in a stellar season for his team, he was far from his best in the final.
He only had one shot on goal and only completed one dribble. He also completed only three passes out of his eight pass attempts and missed one big opportunity as well.
Messi led Argentina to the World Cup in Qatar 2022. Thus, it is understandable why fans might want the Argentine to win the Ballon d’Or. But Haaland has been miles better than the Argentine over the course of the season.
Overall, it was a show below par for the 22-year-old. Fans reacted on Twitter, with one writing:
“Messi in the World Cup final against Haaland in the Ligue 1 final. We are not the same.”
Another said:
“Haaland won the treble, but didn’t perform as well in his biggest game, while Messi showed professionalism in the biggest game ever. Obviously, Leo should win the Ballon d’Or this year.”
Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:
Comparing Ballon d’Or contenders Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland has been, since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund, a true star for Manchester City. He broke the record for most Premier League goals scored in a season with 38 matches. The Norwegian has scored 52 goals across competitions.
Meanwhile, Messi has scored 21 goals and provided 20 assists in 41 matches for Paris Saint-Germain. While the Parisians won Ligue 1, they fared poorly in the Champions League and Coupe de France, being eliminated in the round of 16 in both competitions.
Thus, despite winning the World Cup, Messi is not quite comparable to the Norwegian Manchester City striker in terms of statistics. Still, some fans would like to see their hero win the Ballon d’Or.
Paul Merson predicts the outcome of the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter! click here
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