The Spanish midfielder excluded himself from the award “due to lack of marketing.”
- It is believed Messi will win his eighth Ballon d’Or
- Rodri puts Messi above Haaland
- Ruled is throwing itself out due to lack of marketing
WHAT HAPPENED? Argentine superstar Lionel Messi led his country to a third World Cup title in Qatar and won a second Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022-2023. He already boasts of having seven Ballon d’Or awards to his name and is set to achieve a record eighth in Paris on October 30. Rodri has admitted the Inter Miami striker is the favorite for the Ballon d’Or despite teammate Erling Haaland scoring 52 goals and leading City to the treble in his debut season at the Etihad Stadium.
WHAT THEY SAID: “I think a certain Leo Messi will take it. Haaland is also a very big figure and has merits,” the City midfielder said in an interview with “COPE”. Rodri has also been nominated for the 2023 award, but is not expected to win it as he is not as in the public eye as his teammates. “I know it’s an individual award with a lot of marketing,” he added. “Of the monsters I work with, I obviously lack marketing, like Xavi and Iniesta. I worry about the things I can control, namely the collective rewards.”
THE CONTEXT: If Messi lifts the award, he will set a unique record by becoming the first player to win the coveted individual award while playing club football outside the borders of Europe. He joined MLS side Inter Miami this summer and guided them to the Leagues Cup title, but failed to send them to the MLS playoffs after missing five games with a muscle injury.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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WHAT’S NEXT? It has been reported that Aitana Bonmati, another World Cup winner and player of the tournament in the 2023 women’s event, will receive the Women’s Ballon d’Or.
Source: Goal