Many experts predict that Messi will be the winner of the 8th Ballon d’Or title despite the fact that Norwegian striker Erling Haaland had a magical season with Man City.

Lionel Messi remains the bookmakers’ frontrunner to clinch another Ballon d’Or award later this year, despite Erling Haaland’s remarkable record-breaking season in the Premier League with Manchester City.

As per Odds Checker, Messi’s current odds stand at 1/3 to secure an unprecedented eighth Ballon d’Or title. This prestigious accolade is presented to the world’s finest soccer player, as determined by votes from coaches, captains, and journalists worldwide.

The Argentine captain, who has made an electrifying debut with Inter Miami in the past month, holds a commanding lead over Haaland in the bookmakers’ estimations, following his impressive ten goals in just seven matches for the American team.

In contrast, Haaland’s odds are set at 5/38 to claim his maiden Ballon d’Or, despite his phenomenal season in England where he shattered the record for the most goals in a single Premier League campaign, netting 36 times.

Overall, the Norwegian sensation notched an astounding 52 goals in 53 appearances for City, contributing significantly to their historic Treble victory, which included triumphs in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.

Meanwhile, Messi scored a more modest 21 goals in 41 games during his stint with the French club PSG before departing under acrimonious circumstances and subsequently signing with Miami during the summer.

Since relocating to the United States, the 36-year-old has already tasted success by inspiring Inter’s victory in the Leagues Cup final last weekend. Nonetheless, Messi is yet to feature in MLS matches, with seven consecutive Leagues Cup appearances under his belt.

Haaland is coming off an unforgettable season with the Treble-winning City side, but the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on October 30 is still nearly two months away.

Messi and Haaland are currently the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or, with City’s Kevin de Bruyne at odds of 1/50 and Rodri at 1/66 following closely behind.

Barcelona’s Ilkay Gundogan, who captained City during their Treble-winning campaign before moving to Spain, also stands at 1/66, along with Rodri.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Vinicius Jr, and Kylian Mbappe complete the top 10, albeit at significantly longer odds.

The initial shortlist of 30 candidates for the 2023 Ballon d’Or will be unveiled on September 6.

Messi revealed ahead of the Leagues Cup final that his primary focus this year is not on securing another Ballon d’Or but on achieving collective success with Miami.

In the final, he showcased his brilliance with a spectacular long-range goal to open the scoring against Nashville. Although Nashville later equalized, Messi calmly converted his penalty during the shootout, while Nashville’s Elliot Panicco missed the decisive spot-kick, granting the Argentine his inaugural trophy in American soccer.