“The more complete footballer” - Ex-Man City captain picks 2023 Ballon d’Or winner between Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland
Former Manchester City captain Richard Dunne has given his opinion on the 2023 Ballon d'Or race between Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with OLBG, Dunne was asked if the Norwegian striker could beat seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi to the accolade this year. He replied:
“From a numbers point of view, he's been untouchable. He's been the difference to Man City. If you look back and think about what they were missing in terms of going on and winning the Champions League, it probably was the natural number nine."
Dunne continued:
"I know he didn't score in the later stages of the competition, but he just causes trouble and forces players to mark him. They might even need two of them. He creates spaces in other areas."
Adding that Messi is the more complete player, the former Manchester City captain said:
"Whatever the Ballon d’Or is judged on, I obviously think Messi is the more complete footballer, he is the finished article. Haaland has things he needs to improve on, even as good as he is."
Dunne concluded:
"He could still be better outside the box and getting more involved in games, but if you're looking at out-and-out goal-scorers, there is nobody in the world who can touch Haaland.”
The 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place on October 30.
Erling Haaland vs Lionel Messi: How did the two forwards perform last season?
Haaland, who signed for City from Borussia Dortmund last season, set the stage alight across Europe in the 2022-23 campaign. The burly striker scored goals for fun, registering 52 goals and nine assists in 52 games across competitions.
He helped Pep Guardiola's team retain the Premier League and also won the FA Cup and the Champions League to complete the continental treble. They became only the second English club to do so (Manchester United being the other).
As for Messi, the former Paris-Saint Germain winger helped the French giants wn Ligue 1. He returned with 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games across competitions.
Messi's big win for the season, though, came when he guided Argentina to a World Cup triumph in Qatar in December 2022. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner registered seven goals and three assists in seven games, winning the Golden Ball in the process.
He's now playing for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, where he has registered 11 goals and five assists in 11 games across competitions.