Thierry Henry makes brutal Lionel Messi point in Ballon d'Or race with Man City star Erling Haaland

"Messi. Bye. Over." That was the brutal three-word verdict from Thierry Henry when the Premier League hero was asked to choose between Lionel Messi and Manchester City star Erling Haaland in their race to be crowned Ballon d'Or winner for 2023.

Haaland scored a staggering 52 goals in 53 matches for City last season to spearhead his team to a historic treble win. However, the Nowegian is not expected to be crowned.

Argentina captain Messi is an odds-on favourite with the bookmakers to pick up a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or award after guiding his country to the World Cup trophy last winter. The award for 2023 will be handed out at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on Monday, October 30.

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Henry, who played alongside Messi at Spanish giants Barcelona during his own memorable career, chatted about the Ballon d'Or race with Jamie Carragher and City hero Micah Richards on the CBS Sports panel. Henry said: "A lot of people can debate that but, for me, if you win the World Cup and the way he did it.

"We can talk about what happened in the final...

"As a Frenchman, I was obviously a little disappointed with how it all finished, but you can't say it isn't deserved if he wins. Maybe a lot of people can claim, the Man City players, Haaland and some can also say; 'Why not me?'

"But you can't say it's not right if he wins it. You have the history at times where I'm thinking about Lewandowski, they decided to say there will not be any Ballon d'Or, but there was football. Why was the guy not allowed to win his golden ball? Or the Ballon d'Or I should say."

When asked by fellow pundit Carragher who deserves to