Spanish football expert, Guillem Balague, has identified Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi as the favourite player to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or.
Balague said this while providing an update on Messi’s future with PSG amid reports linking the Argentina captain with a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal this summer.
Messi is in the final year of his PSG contract in Paris but is yet to sign a new deal with the French Ligue 1 champions.
The former Barcelona captain has been in exceptional form for both club and country so far this season, as he led Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year.
“There has not been an offer (from Al-Hilal). PSG and Messi are organising a meeting in the next few weeks to finalise the deal that will keep him in Paris,” Balague said, as quoted by PSG Talk.
“Right now, his motivation is to stay in Europe. He is the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or; he is still in the Champions League; he has big targets after winning the World Cup. Not only does it make no sense to approach him with that offer, it has not existed.”