Is the football world biased towards Messi?

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi secured his eighth Ballon D'Or award yesterday, leaving critics and fans thinking the awards are biased towards the Argentine.

The Argentinian has won the award for his performance at the World Cup in 2022, but Manchester City's Erling Haaland would have something to say about that.

Haaland scored 56 goals and ten assists for City and Norway, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, PFA Player of the Year, Champions league top scorer and Premier League Golden Boot.

In comparison to Messi, who scored 41 goals for PSG and Argentina and was the top assister in Ligue One, finishing with 26. He won Ligue One, the World Cup, and the World Cup Player of the Tournament.

Lionel Messi was sublime for over a month for Argentina, but Erling Haaland was consistent in three competitions for ten months, so why did Messi win the award again?

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won 13 out of the last 15 Ballon d'Or awards, and if you ask Jose Mourinho, the award is biased towards the Argentine.

According to sport.optus.com.au, Mourinho famously said: "They tend to give it to the people that win things, but if you're Messi you have even more chance of winning it, even if you don't win things."

Going off the basis of winning trophies and helping their team, fellow Argentine Julian Alvarez should have won the award, winning the World Cup, Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup.

On the surface, Messi scoring seven World Cup goals and leading them to their first World Cup win in 36 years is impressive, but when you break it down, things look different.

Out of Messi's seven World Cup goals, four were penalties, including one in the shootout against the Netherlands. Messi scored goals against the non-elite Australia, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia on their run, losing to Saudi Arabia.

In the final against France, Argentina drew 3-3, in another game in the World Cup they either drew or lost after regulation or extra time.

As for Julien Alvarez, Messi's teammate, he scored four goals in seven at the World Cup, one more from open play than Messi. The city forward scored 16 goals in all competitions in England.

In a below-average season for Messi at PSG, the World Cup winner scored 16 Ligue One goals, helping them to one trophy in a less competitive league to Alvaraz and Haaland.

On the basis of their outputs for club and country and the number of trophies won, Álvarez had a better season than Messi, but Álvarez finished seventh in the Ballon d'Or rankings!

Earlier this year, former Netherlands manager Louie Van Gaal made a controversial claim that would put Messi's Ballon d'Or win in jeopardy, claiming Argentina's World Cup win was rigged.

According to independent.co.uk, Van Gaal said: "When you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals, and how some Argentina players overstepped the mark and were not punished, then I think it's all premeditated games."

Is the 2023 Ballon d'Or awards the last time we will see Messi win, or will his performances with Inter Miami earn him a spot at the top?