Ballon d’Or 2023: Lionel Messi's World Cup win makes him favourite for award, ends Cristiano Ronaldo debate - Joe Cole

Joe Cole thinks Lionel Messi’s World Cup triumph makes him the stand-out candidate to win the Ballon d’Or, while Joleon Lescott says Erling Haaland is more deserving of the trophy.

The Ballon d’Or 2023 ceremony will be held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday, October 30.

Thirty players feature on the shortlist, but many think it will be a two-horse race between the Argentine maestro and Manchester City’s treble-winning hitman.

Messi is going for his eighth Ballon d’Or victory, while Haaland is hoping to add to his personal honours after being crowned UEFA’s player of the year.

Former City defender Joleon Lescott has explained his reasons for Haaland picking up the prestigious honour.

Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: “There’s been years when Messi has won the treble and scored 50 goals and there was never a doubt that he wasn’t going to win and now someone else has done it in a league that’s never been done before.

“I find it hard to look past Erling Haaland for that reason,” he said.

However, although Cole insists it is “a great argument” from Lescott, he thinks Messi’s performances - especially in Qatar - supersede anything achieved by any of the other nominees.

“What Messi done at the World Cup and it looks like FIFA, because of the change of the dates, are putting that in this section. I just think that was just outstanding, almost spiritual,” he said.

“The one question people had over Messi was ‘was he a leader?’ Forget the goals and the assists, the way he led that team of young players by the way, and he drove them, and there were so many moments where they could’ve been going out.

“I just think it was the cherry on the cake for probably the outstanding football career we’ve seen."

To add more clout to his argument, the former England and Chelsea midfielder pulled out a top trump when describing Messi’s magic at the World Cup.

“I think it put to bed the Ronaldo-Messi argument,” he said.

“On top of that, he won the league with PSG, scored some massive goals, and then what he’s done for Miami when he’s gone there.

“If I was Haaland and I don’t win it, I’d be devastated but the only one way I could swallow it is if it’s Messi picking up the trophy."

Admitting both players had a strong case for success in Paris, Cole said: “Maybe a joint winner this year.”

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