With the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony right around the corner, the world debates whether Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland should win the award. While the Argentine star won the 2022 World Cup, the Norwegian helped Manchester City secure the treble last season.
France Football will announce the winner on October 30, but in the meantime, we’ll compare how these players fared during the voting period. In this case, however, we will only take into account their performances at the club level.
The 2022-23 campaign was Haaland’s first year in the Premier League, whereas it marked the final season of Messi in the Ligue 1 before taking his talents to MLS. Without further introduction, let’s take a loot at their respective stats.
Messi’s stats in 2022-23 with PSG, Inter Miami
Stats-wise, Messi turned up his level compared to his first year at Paris Saint-Germain. The 7x Ballon d’Or winner struggled to settle in France the previous term, scoring just six goals in 26 league games.
Lionel Messi with PSG
To be fair, he also provided 15 assists in those matches, whereas he found the net on five occasions in seven Champions League matches. Either way, Leo was still criticized.
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In the 2022-23 season, Messi significantly improved his scoring tally. Apart from recording 16 goals along with 16 assists in 32 Ligue 1 matches, he racked up both four goals and four assists in seven Champions League fixtures.
What these numbers prove is that Messi balanced his ability to score and assist much better than in the previous season. So, if we stick to the stats, it’s hard to argue Messi had a great year, at least individually. But then again, he was often blamed for PSG’s shortcomings as a team.
The 36-year-old decided not to renew his deal with the French club in June, shocking the world by joining Inter Miami. Apart from revolutionizing the sport in the US, Messi took the Herons to the 2023 Leagues Cup title with 10 goals and an assist in seven games. Overall, Messi finished the season with 32 goals and 25 assists in 55 games at the club level.
Erling Haaland’s stats in 2022-23 with Man City
Erling Haaland couldn’t have asked for a better start to life at Manchester City. In his first season in England, the Norwegian striker made sure to live up to his reputation as a prolific striker.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City
The former Dortmund star proved to be the ruthless No. 9 Pep Guardiola needed to take the Citizens to the next level. With 52 goals in 53 games, Haaland played an instrumental role in the team’s treble (winning the Premier League Champions League, and FA Cup).
Premier League rivals were clueless when it came to stopping him, as the forward bagged 36 goals in 35 league matches. But Haaland also proved he can be a true team player, providing eight assists. Besides, on many occasions he did the dirty work of battling with the defenders to set up opportunities for his teammates.
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His contribution to the club’s first European success was huge, with 12 goals in 11 Champions League appearances. But Haaland also left his mark in the FA Cup-winning campaign, scoring three times in four games.
Haaland’s perfect season earned him all kinds of individual accolades. Man City, UEFA, and the Premier League chose the striker as the best player of the campaign. Of course, he also took home the Golden Boot both in the Premier and Champions League.
