Erling Haaland vs Lionel Messi debate for Ballon d'Or has a clear winner

Lionel Messi is once again the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or after winning the World Cup.

However, it could be argued that no player deserves to be called the best player on the planet more so than Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian superstar was the catalyst for Manchester City’s treble success, with the club collecting their first Champions League crown having already won the FA Cup and the Premier League.

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On his mission to collect all three major trophies, Haaland was able to contribute an astonishing 52 goals for the club. He broke multiple Premier League records in the process, as well as scoring 12 in 11 Champions League games.

He has very quickly established himself as one of the most dominant strikers in world football, and alongside Pep Guardiola there really is no guessing just how good he could be.

Haaland is in contention to win the Ballon d'Or after winning the Golden Boy award in 2020. His dominance has rightly been recognised in recent weeks with numerous individual awards coming his way.

The argument for Messi winning the award is of course his sublime achievement of lifting the World Cup last winter. The World Cup is the pinnacle of football and so it is only fair to consider it when choosing a Ballon d'Or winner. But should players whose nations didn't qualify for the tournament really be punished?

Norway didn't take part at the Qatar event having not made it through qualifying, and while Haaland has been banging in goals for fun with City, Messi has recently moved to Major League Soccer, a league which few would argue is at the level of the Premier League.

Very few football fans would fail to crack a smile if Messi