The 2023 Golden Ball race is becoming more and more intense as the 2022/23 season is coming to an end. Recently, we have seen the rise of Manchester City star Erling Haaland on the favorites list. The 22-year-old star has now become a good candidate for the award after an impressive season. He has the opportunity to end the season by lifting two more trophies, including the Champions League, after helping Cityzens win the Premier League.
Erling Haaland is the Premier League's top scorer this season with 36 goals. As well as helping Manchester City reach the Champions League final, the former Borussia Dortmund star will also win the Champions League Golden Boot as he scored 12 goals and provided one assist in the tournament.
Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi is currently second on the list of favorites. The former Barcelona star is also having a good season with the French Ligue 1 club based on individual stats, but Paris Saint-Germain has had a below-average season so far.
Lionel Messi's 2022 FIFA World Cup victory is the main reason why he can't be wiped out yet. So far, he has scored 15 goals and has 15 assists in the French league. In the Champions League, he scored 4 goals and provided 4 assists.
The third favorite player to win the Ballon d'Or in 2023 is Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. The fourth favorite is Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman has also scored 38 goals and nine assists in all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain.
Here is the full list of the top ten favorites to win the Ballon d'Or in 2023:
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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag praised Casemiro after the Brazilian scored the winning goal in a crucial 1-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday.
Casemiro, who arrived from Real Madrid at the end of last summer's transfer window, has had a dominant impact on United's side.
The results and levels of performance with and without the Brazilian were very different. Furthermore, the midfielder has scored a number of key goals, whether it was the opening goal in the Carabao Cup final or the winning goal against Bournemouth that gave the 10 Hag men a point to claim the title. Champions League champion.
Erik ten Hag praised Casemiro and insisted the Brazilian exceeded expectations in his first season.
Casemiro was praised by Erik ten Hag for exceeding expectations in his first season. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Here's what the boss said when asked about Casemiro, his performances and more (h/t Manchester Evening News):
"We know he's a very good organizer, he locates, predicts, intercepts a lot of balls, wins duels, fights, keeps the team united. But also like that. ball control, passing, distribution and finishing. He's just a great football player.
“Absolutely (he exceeded expectations), so far. So I think one of the things that came out of our analysis was that we lacked a player in midfield, a strategist.
“We were looking for a strategist. It's not easy because there aren't many records that match Manchester United's standards. We are therefore glad to have found him and his contribution is enormous.
If we look at the last few seasons, the only player United lack is a proper defensive midfielder who is good with the ball. Casemiro can assist defensively but is very good at running forward, scoring important goals and more.
Players like Scott McTominay, Fred and Nemanja Matic have recently been tried there, but none of them are mobile enough to incorporate Casemiro's work.
Erik ten Hag praised Casemiro and insisted the Brazilian exceeded expectations in his first season.
Casemiro has made a splash and that could continue long for Manchester United. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Because of this, the 31-year-old player not only outperforms expectations this season, but also becomes an important link if MU plays well in the Champions League and gets closer to Manchester City in the next season's tournament.
The club need to focus on adding a central midfielder who can carry the ball, complement Casemiro well and free up Bruno Fernandes to deal more damage in the bottom third.
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A player like Frenkie de Jong falls into that category, but it remains to be seen whether United will return to the Dutchman this summer. A report from Express says so.
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