Inter Milan star Davide Frattesi names his 2023 Ballon d'Or top 3 involving Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe
Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi has named Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe in his Ballon d'Or top three.
OneFootball recently asked some of their famous followers to give their predictions for the Ballon d'Or awards set to be held on 30 October in Paris. Frattesi was among those who replied, saying:
"Hello!!! 1 messi 2 haaland 3 mbappe"
Out of the three, Frattesi has only played against one of them. His only appearance as Haaland's opponent came in July 2018 when Italy's U19 drew 1-1 with Norway U19, with the Manchester City striker getting on the scoresheet.
Haaland has blossomed into one of the world's best players. He scored 52 times in 53 club games last term as the Cityzens won the treble. The 23-year-old has started the current season in fine form, scoring 11 times in 10 league games.
Lionel Messi, meanwhile, registered 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games last season for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as they won Ligue 1. He won the Golden Ball at the 2022 FIFA World Cup — a competition Argentina won by defeating Mbappe's France in the final on penalties.
For Inter Miami, the former Barcelona superstar has 11 goals and five assists in 14 games across competitions. Mbappe had an impressive return of 41 goals and 10 assists in 43 games for PSG last season and has 12 goals in as many games this term.
The Frenchman also won the Golden Boot at the Qatar World Cup after netting eight goals, including two in the final.
How many Ballon d'Or awards does Lionel Messi have?
Lionel Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Ors during his storied career — two more than the next person on the list, Cristiano Ronaldo. He first made the podium in 2007, finishing behind winner Kaka and runner-up Ronaldo.
Messi went one better the following year and then won his first Ballon d'Or award in 2009. He then won the next three Ballon d'Or trophies on offer before Ronaldo ended that run in 2013.
Messi next won the award in 2015 but had to wait for more years to win it again. His last triumph came in 2021 when he beat Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho to first place.