"If it wasn't for the World Cup...", Bernardo Silva's unexpected words against Messi

In October, Lionel Messi was honored in Paris during the Ballon d'Or 2023 ceremony. There, he was chosen as the best player in the world for the eighth time in his career by France Football magazine, thanks to the votes of 150 journalists from all over the world. Leo had already received that award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021, but this time it was special.

The main reason why the forward was chosen in 2023 was because of his excellent performances and his success at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. There he led the Argentine National Team to the third title in its history and finally fulfilled his dream of being world champion, after having tried four times before. His 7 goals in 7 games were decisive for Lionel Scaloni's team to win the title, after an unforgettable final against France at the Lusail Stadium.

With that award, Messi left behind other stars who had also had a great year, such as Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior, Kevin De Bruyne, Jude Bellingham and Rodri. That is why some criticized France Football's decision, considering that seven games in the World Cup could not overshadow an entire season.

And during an interview with A Bola, Bernardo Silva opined on this. "Nowadays, when you look at individual trophies, people look a lot at statistics. Normally, the players who score the most goals win," the Manchester City midfielder began. And then he added: "If Bayern win the Champions League, the Bayern striker who scored 40 goals in the season will win the Ballon d'Or. City wins it... and it didn't happen to be Haaland, because Messi won the World Cup. However, if it wasn't for the World Cup, Haaland would have won the Ballon d'Or."

That won't happen again

In his thank you speech after receiving the award, Lionel Messi assured that this was his last Ballon d'Or and mentioned some players who, in his opinion, will win it in the coming years. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are the favorites to do so, although other stars will compete with them, such as Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.