The 2023 Ballon d'Or race has already evolved into a showdown between a seasoned superstar and one of his potential successors.

Despite being 35 years old, Lionel Messi remains a strong contender for the individual award, with the chance to secure an unprecedented eighth title.

Yet, Manchester City's Erling Haaland is poised to challenge Messi's position in the October voting.

In 2021, L'Equipe, the magazine responsible for organizing the annual gala honoring outstanding individual performances, introduced modifications to the Ballon d'Or criteria shortly after Messi claimed his seventh accolade, as reported by Marca.

Past criticisms about the selection criteria prompted the French publication to address these issues by implementing new changes that became effective in 2022, when former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema emerged as the winner.

Sports Brief has previously covered some of the most contentious decisions in the history of the Ballon d'Or awards.

1.Based on season, not year

Prior to the 2022 vote, the Ballon d'Or recipient was consistently chosen based on their performances within a calendar year, spanning from January to December. However, under the revised regulations, the voting process shifted to revolve around a standard season, typically commencing from August to July of the subsequent year.

If the previous rule had remained in effect, the 2022 World Cup would not have been considered in determining the 2023 awardee. Consequently, Messi and Benzema would have contended for the 2022 accolade, leaving Haaland with a clear path to this year's recognition.

Lesser votes for member countriesPreviously, nearly all the member countries of FIFA were allowed to vote. However, this was trimmed down to only the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings and the top 50 nations in the women's vote.

As it stands, 20 African countries will be eligible to vote for the 2023 winner.

Parameters used by Ballon d'OrThe Ballon d'Or has often emphasised individual performance over collective achievements.

L'Equipe reiterated that this will be in full swing going forward, with voters asked to look at how a player performed individually first before coming to what he/she achieved with his/her team. The other criteria will be the players' ability and sense of fair play.

Going by this metric, Messi seems to have an edge over Haaland going into the 2023 vote. The Norwegian might have scored 52 goals in 53 competitions compared to Messi's 38 goals, but the Argentine delivered in key games in the run to the World Cup victory.

The new Inter Miami star also won FIFA's The Best award, compared to Haaland's Premier League Player of the Season. When it comes to collective achievements, the Manchester City striker also won the treble, though one might argue the World Cup trophy trounces that.

Involvement of specialists for nomineesNormally, it used to be the editorial staff of the magazine that compiled the list of nominees. 30 players often make the cut for the Ballon d'Or, with 20 others for the Kopa Trophy.

However, in 2022 and going forward, L'Équipe brought on board other specialists, like 2012 Champions League winner Didier Drogba. It is expected that they will have a variety of specialists to help in selecting the nominees and eventual winners.

Why Messi will beat HaalandSports Brief has also given a breakdown of why Messi holds the Ballon d'Or advantage over Haaland in the 2023 vote despite the Manchester City star winning the cup treble.

Apart from the World Cup factor, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner starred in major games compared to the Norwegian's outings in big games in the Champions League.