Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s head coach, expressed his thoughts on the 2023 Ballon d’Or recipient during a press conference held ahead of a crucial Premier League fixture on October 21, 2023. When questioned by reporters, Guardiola acknowledged the brilliance of his striker Erling Haaland but emphasized that Lionel Messi had won the World Cup.
He proposed the idea of having two separate Ballon d’Or awards, one for Messi and another for other players, stating, “I always said that the Ballon d’Or had to be two sections. One for Messi and one for the others. Haaland should win, yes or yes. We won the treble, he scored a million goals. I’d love Erling to win. But Messi… Leo won the World Cup.” The Ballon d’Or award ceremony is scheduled for October 30, 2023, and football fans eagerly await the announcement of the prestigious award’s recipient.
Pep Guardiola on the Ballon d’Or 🥶✨
🎥 @footballdaily pic.twitter.com/2IGM1qzCl8
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 20, 2023