With the European soccer season reaching its crucial stages, we can already debate who were the best of the 2022-23 campaign. Now it’s safe to say which players might be in contention for the Ballon d’Or, but it’s hard to tell who will win.
Of course, the likes of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Junior should lead the race for the award given by France Football. And although the Argentine star made a strong case in the World Cup, the Norwegian striker and the Brazilian winger can still increase their chances.
Both the Manchester City goal-scoring machine and the Real Madrid sensation are competing for the UEFA Champions League, which is always considered at the time of voting. Bernardo Silva revealed his favorite, but stressed that the season isn’t over yet.
Bernardo Silva says right now Messi should win Ballon d’Or, but the season hasn’t finished yet
“Until this moment, I would give it to Lionel Messi because he won the World Cup“, the Portuguese star told L’Equipe when asked about who should win this year’s Ballon d’Or.
“Then, if Manchester City win the Champions League, you could say Haaland. If Real Madrid win, you could say Vinicius Jr., who had an incredible season. We’ll have to wait until the end of the season to know who won the Champions League, who won the different championships. For instance, if Haaland wins the Premier League and the Champions League, he could join the debate.”
Silva has a fair point, because even if Messi is favorite due to his remarkable World Cup performance, Haaland and Vinicius can still make an impression before the end of the season. As he said, we’ll have to wait and see.