The anticipation for the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards is reaching fever pitch, as soccer enthusiasts eagerly await the announcement of the winner. With the nominee list recently unveiled, the spotlight has naturally fallen on Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland, who are touted as the frontrunners for the prestigious honor. However, while Haaland is vying for the Ballon d’Or, he has unwittingly etched his name in the annals of soccer history for all the wrong reasons.

Both Messi and Haaland showcased scintillating performances in the previous season. Messi, the maestro himself, led Argentina to victory in the FIFA World Cup after a drought of 36 years. Haaland, on the other hand, had a remarkable year with Manchester City, shattering numerous goal-scoring records and securing a historic second treble for an English club.

Erling Haaland breaks an infamous record

The Norwegian prodigy’s goal-scoring spree has spilled over into the current season. The 23-year-old has already netted seven goals in just five matches, crowning him as the leading goal scorer in the Premier League. However, Haaland’s recent encounter with West Ham in the London Stadium added a tinge of infamy to his otherwise dazzling run.

Although Manchester City emerged victorious with a comfortable 3-1 scoreline, it was a lackluster day for their star striker. To everyone’s surprise, he missed a staggering five big chances throughout the match. What makes this statistic even more significant is that no player has missed more chances in a Premier League match since Opta started collecting data in the 2009/10 season.

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Despite eventually finding the back of the net in the 86th minute, his inability to convert those earlier chances overshadowed his late goal. Also, he is the player with the most big chances missed (8) in PL this season.

Even while this performance against West Ham has no bearing on the Ballon d’Or vote, it has undoubtedly raised questions over Haaland’s prospects for the Ballon d’Or. Adding to these doubts is a recent statement from his national team coach.

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Norway Manager snubs his star player for Lionel Messi

The manager of Norway’s national team, Stale Solbakken, recently made a bold decision by favoring Messi over his star player. In a recent interview, Solbakken shared his thoughts on this year’s Ballon d’Or outcome. He stated that the competition would mainly be between Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland. However, Solbakken believes that Messi’s crucial role in Argentina’s World Cup victory gives him an advantage over his competitors.

In his words, “If you ask me who I think will win, I would say Messi will win it because of the World Cup triumph. That always has an impact”. As anticipation builds for this highly anticipated competition, it remains uncertain who will come out on top.

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Who do you think should win the Ballon d’Or? Let us know in the comments.