Soccer

PSG: Hakimi backs Mbappe to win 2023 Ballon d'Or over Messi, Haaland

Achraf Hakimi addressed the 2023 Ballon d'Or race, explaining why PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe should win it instead of Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland.

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By Martín O’donnell

September 20, 2023 02:32PM EDT

**© Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images**Lionel Messi (left), Kylian Mbappe (c) and Achraf Hakimi

By Martín O’donnell

France Football announced 30 nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, but three names stand out on the list: Inter Miami star Lionel Messi, PSG striker Kylian Mbappe, and Manchester City sensation Erling Haaland.

Messi made a strong case to win the prize by leading Argentina to World Cup victory at Qatar 2022, while the Norwegian hitman made the cut thanks to an impactful first year in England, helping Manchester City win the treble.

Achraf Hakimi, however, believes his Paris Saint-Germain teammate should emerge victorious this year. Shortly after Messi left the French club, the Moroccan right-back didn’t hesitate to voice his support for Mbappe.

Hakimi explains why Mbappe should win 2023 Ballon d’Or

“I think that for me, with what Mbappé did this last year, for me, Mbappé deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. He is a great player and I hope he can win it this year,” Hakimi told beIN SPORTS France, via @PSG_Report on Twitter.

Mbappe put PSG on his back last season, scoring an impressive 41 goals in 43 games accross all club competitions. On top of that, he won the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot with eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final.

$Kylian Mbappe is not Kevin De Bruyne\'s candidate to win the Ballon d\'Or first$

Who are the 30 nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or?

Josko Gvardiol (Leipzig / Manchester City)
Andre Onana (Inter Milan / Manchester United)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid / Al-Ittihad)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Randal Kolo Muani (Frankfurt / PSG)
Jude Bellingham (Dortmund / Real Madrid)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla / Al-Hilal)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Kim Min-Jae (Napoli / Bayern Munich)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)
Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City / Barcelona)
Rodri (Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Harry Kane (Tottenham / Bayern Munich)
Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Lionel Messi (PSG / Inter Miami)

Martín O’donnell

Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.