Lionel Messi is the strong favourite to pick up his eighth Ballon d’Or on Monday night. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are also both strong contenders after having an exceptional year in football. Here’s a breakdown of the year that these individual talents have had.
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe is among the hottest talents in world football right now. He became the second player ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. He surpassed Edinson Cavani (200) as PSG’s all time leading goalscorer with 222 goals. He also became the first PSG player to score five goals in a competitive match. He won Ligue 1 and Trophee des Champions last season with PSG. The French striker picked up his fifth consecutive Golden Boot Award in June. These achievements have made Mbappe a worthy contender.
Erling Haaland
Haaland is often described as a robot and after the debut year he’s had at Manchester City, it’s clear to see why. He broke the record for number of Premier League goals in a season with 36 goals. He ended last season on 49 in all competitions, making that a club record. Haaland equalled the number of Premier League hat-tricks in a single season levelling with Alan Shearer’s five. He was a crucial part in Manchester City’s treble win that saw them win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. He also has won the Super Cup this season with Manchester City. The only thing that pulls Haaland back is the lack of success with Norway after they failed to qualify for World Cup 2022. Haaland is just six goals away from becoming Norway’s record goalscorer with Jorgan Juve leading the way.
Lionel Messi
Messi finally lifted the World Cup above his head with Argentina. He scored seven goals in the prestigious tournament. He also added another 32 goals this year as he made the transition from Ligue 1 to the MLS. He lifted Ligue 1 and Trophee des Champions with PSG. He also won the Leagues Cup with Inter Miami, the was the clubs first every trophy which shows the impact the Argentine has had. He’s recently struggled with muscular injuries but in 13 appearances for Inter Miami, he’s scored 11 goals
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