▲Illustration: Poland's striker Levan and Argentina's Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi
Robert Lewandowski, the Polish shot-stopper for La Liga giants Barcelona, is confident that Lionel Messi will be on track to pick up the Ballon d'Or honor in 2023 as he leads Argentina to World Cup laurels.
Last year's Ballon d'Or winner was French shot-stopper Karim Benzema, however, after Messi lifted the first World Cup trophy of his career, Levein asserted that Messi is highly unlikely to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or. Although Mbappe is also highly anticipated, there is only one World Cup winner, so Messi has the upper hand in the race for the Ballon d'Or. Levan elaborated further.
As the World Cup comes to an end, rumors are swirling about Messi's possible return to Barcelona, and Levan is thrilled with the news. It's not up to me, but I'm sure Messi is playing a more important 'organizational core' role in the team today, maybe he's scoring less, but he's assisting more, and he's becoming a dream partner for every striker.
Historically, it has not happened that a Ballon d'Or winner has won the World Cup the following year, but this 'urban legend' will be broken in 2021 by Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi. And Levant's prediction is not an idle one, as past records show that players who perform well in World Cup finals tend to have a better chance of winning the Ballon d'Or.
