‘I’m taking Erling Haaland!’ – Former USMNT players pit Man City star against Lionel Messi in heated Ballon d’Or debate

Former USMNT players Alexi Lalas and Stuart Holden have clashed in a heated debate about which player deserves to win the Ballon d’Or next month.

The former USMNT players heaped praise on both Messi and Haaland during an episode of Lalas’ State of the Union podcast. However, they disagreed over who deserves to win football’s top individual prize following the release of the Ballon d’Or shortlist earlier this week.

Messi vs. Haaland: Who would you rather take to build your team around, right now?@AlexiLalas and @stuholden open the debate on who they would choose to surround their squad with and who they believe will take home the 2023 Ballon d'Or ⚽️🏆 pic.twitter.com/3rGBlFUUuS

— Alexi Lalas' State of the Union Podcast (@SOTUWithAlexi) September 9, 2023

Lalas was bullish on the fact that Haaland had had the better year overall, arguing: “I’d take Haaland. This is about the best player in this period of time, and how is it possible that given the opportunity to pick between Haaland and Messi, you’re not taking the quote-unquote best player?”

Holden initially agreed, before switching and deciding to back Messi for the Ballon d’Or: “You throw Messi into Man City, they’re going to win everything and Messi’s gonna score 50+ goals! I’m changing my mind, I’m taking Messi!”

Most people agree that it’s between the World Cup-winning Argentina captain and the Premier League Golden Boot winner for the award, but opinions are divided, as Lalas’ podcast shows. 

ESPN’s Craig Burley even advised the Man City striker to “never go back” to the “claptrap” awards if Messi is chosen as the winner. However, the seven-time Ballon d’Or champion’s glorious World Cup 2022 campaign arguably puts him in the driving seat against Haaland, whose nation didn’t even qualify for the tournament.

Following the announcement of the players nominated for the prize, the Ballon d’Or 2023 is set to take place in Paris on October 30, meaning in just a few weeks’ time we’ll know who has been successful. Will it be Messi, Haaland, or another candidate altogether?