Pep Guardiola's perfect response on who should win Ballon d'Or between Messi & Haaland | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes both Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland deserve to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or, but his full response to being asked who should win was absolutely spot on.

Both players are the favourites for this year's honour after Messi's triumph at the World Cup and Haaland's integral role in Manchester City's treble-winning side.

However, the Argentinian is expected to win his eighth Ballon d'Or this month, as according to reports in Spain it has already been leaked that the Inter Miami star will be once again crowned football's player of the year.

When speaking to the media before City's Saturday afternoon clash at home to Brighton, the Spaniard said: "Always I said the Ballon d'Or should be in two sections; one for Messi, then after another one so Haaland should win, yes. We won the treble, he scored a million goals.

"The worst season for Messi is the best for the rest of the players. Both deserve it," Guardiola added.

Lionel Messi vs Erling Haaland

Messi has been a heavy favourite to claim the award since captaining his country to World Cup glory for the first time since 1986, to cap of what has been one of the most decorated careers in football. The ex-Barcelona man netted seven goals - second in the top scorer list behind Kylian Mbappe - and topped the assist chart with three as he dragged the South American giants to a third World Cup victory.

The Norwegian international, meanwhile, is also among the 30 candidates to win the Ballon d'Or on the 30th of October in Paris, after he scored 52 goals in 53 appearances to help City become only the second team in English football to win the treble.

City's goal scoring sensation is again set on breaking more records after he became the record holder for the most goals scored in a Premier League season in 2022-23 with 36 goals - having already bagged eight goals in 12 appearances this campaign. Haaland is, however, without a goal for City since the 23rd of September.

The defending champions have lost their last two Premier League matches - pointless from trips to Wolves and Arsenal - so Guardiola will be hoping his Ballon d'Or contender will return to his goal scoring best.

Public opinion remains relatively divided on who deserves this year's award, as some fans see Haaland's season as more impressive, while others state it isn't a goal scoring award, but one for the best player overall, and the striker doesn't contribute too much other than putting the ball in the back of the net. There is an argument, however, to say that his only responsibility in that City side is to score goals, and he's done it better than anyone in European football this year.

If, as expected, Guardiola's former player at Barcelona does win his eighth Ballon d'Or, he will extend his record, with the nearest competitor being Cristiano Ronaldo on five - who last won it in 2017 - cementing his legacy, to many, as the greatest player of all time.