Ballon d'Or: Mbappe or Haaland deserves the award not Messi — Juventus star

Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot believes that either Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland deserve to win the Ballon d'Or, not the odds on favourite Lionel Messi. 

Rabiot, 28, is a member of the France national team and was involved in the 2022 World Cup final that Les Bleus lost to Argentina, which put Messi in pole position for the gong. 

However, the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder believes there are other better-deserving players.  

According to a report by RMC Sport, the midfielder said he is aware Messi is viewed as a favourite but stated that on the basis of sporting merit, it should be a direct shootout between Mbappe and Haaland. 

“Ballon d’Or? I hear a lot that it’s Messi who is going to get it, but on a sporting level, it will be played between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. Saying one of them would be complicated; it depends on what you base it on. Not everyone ever agrees, but I think it will be between these two.”