There have been controversies over Lionel Messi’s claim to the Ballon d’Or, especially considering Erling Haaland’s blistering performance for Manchester City, resulting in their first-ever treble victory. Erling Haaland became a formidable striking force in his very first season in the Premier League, a feat that even Lionel Messi admires and considers exceptional.
However, Messi went home with the trophy ahead of his arch-contenders because of his phenomenal performance at the World Cup. On the biggest stage, Messi proved to be the greatest of all time, though there were contrary opinions from the likes of Piers Morgan.
Piers Morgan claims Lionel Messi ‘rigged’ Ballon d’Or
Piers Morgan has expressed his disagreement with Lionel Messi winning the 2023 Ballon d’Or, stating that he believes the award process was rigged and that Manchester City’s Erling Haaland should have been the rightful recipient. This difference in opinion is quite common in the football world, as debates and discussions about award winners can be subjective and passionate.
“Messi preposterously winning the Ballon d’Or this year is yet more proof that the whole ‘Golden Ball’ system is rigged.
“He should have won 2 fewer, @Cristiano should have won 2 more, and Haaland should have won this year. End,” Morgan wrote.
Lionel Messi won the 2023 Ballon d’Or ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, who finished in second and third place in the final voting, respectively. This result reflects the opinions of journalists, coaches, national team captains, and managers who participate in the Ballon d’Or voting process.
Soccer world brutally roasts Piers Morgan for his Ballon d’Or statement
Lionel Messi’s 2023 Ballon d’Or win in Paris places him three Ballon d’Or titles ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently has five Ballon d’Or trophies. Hence, it is no surprise that Pierse Morgan holds a contrary opinion about Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or eligibility.
Piers Morgan believes that Erling Haaland should have won the trophy instead of Lionel Messi, and he cited Haaland’s exceptional City record for his hypothesis. However, many Messi fans believe Piers Morgan only said those words because of his love and support for Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi’s greatest rival.
In response to Piers Morgan’s declaration of preference for Erling Haaland, an X user says;
“On March 18, 2017, Ronaldo robbed Bayern with two offside goals, as confirmed by Piers Morgan in the first frame. On December 7th, 2017, Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or. The second frame is Piers Morgan defending the robber.”
Another X user responded, “Can you go one day without getting humiliated on the internet?”
Do you think Messi deserves to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or ahead of Erling Haaland? Tell us what you think in the comments.
