“The 2023 Ballon d’Or race is shaping up as a showdown between a seasoned superstar and one of his emerging successors.
At 36 years old, Lionel Messi remains a formidable contender for the individual honor, with a chance to secure an unprecedented eighth title. However, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is set to challenge the status quo in the October 30 vote, following the unveiling of the nominees on September 6.
L’Équipe, the magazine responsible for orchestrating the annual gala celebrating outstanding individual performances, introduced rule changes in 2021, shortly after Messi had secured his seventh Ballon d’Or, as reported by Marca. These changes were aimed at addressing ongoing concerns regarding the criteria for selecting winners, some of which had sparked controversy in the award’s history.
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The alterations, which came into effect in 2022, have significantly impacted the dynamics of the Ballon d’Or competition:
1. Based on Season, Not Year: The traditional approach of evaluating performance within a calendar year (from January to December) was replaced with a system based on a regular season, spanning from August to July of the following year. This adjustment meant that the 2022 World Cup played a role in determining the 2023 winner. In the previous format, Messi would have contested with Karim Benzema for the 2022 award, leaving Haaland as a frontrunner for this year’s accolade.
2. Fewer Voting Nations: The pool of nations eligible to vote was reduced to the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations and the top 50 nations in the women’s category. This change limited the number of participating countries, with 20 African nations having a say in the 2023 selection.
3. Emphasis on Individual Performance: The Ballon d’Or continued to prioritize individual performance over collective achievements. Voters were instructed to assess a player’s individual contributions before considering their team accomplishments. The additional criteria included a player’s ability and fair play. By these standards, Messi appears to have an advantage over Haaland in the 2023 vote. While Haaland boasts 52 goals in 53 appearances compared to Messi’s 38 goals, the Argentine delivered in pivotal moments during the World Cup triumph. Messi also clinched FIFA’s The Best award, whereas Haaland was named Premier League Player of the Season. In terms of team achievements, Haaland won the treble, although one could argue that the World Cup trophy holds more weight.
4. Specialist Involvement in Nominee Selection: L’Équipe departed from the previous practice of having only its editorial team compile the list of nominees. Instead, they incorporated specialists, such as Didier Drogba, a 2012 Champions League winner, into the selection process. This change is expected to include a diverse array of specialists and international journalists to help choose the nominees and eventual winners.
Despite Haaland’s success in securing a treble with Manchester City, there are reasons why Messi may have the upper hand in the 2023 Ballon d’Or race, as highlighted by Sports Brief. Messi’s pivotal role in key games, especially during the World Cup, sets him apart from Haaland’s performances in significant Champions League matches.”
Please note that the above information is based on the data available up to January 2022, and the 2023 Ballon d’Or results are not included in this response.