There should be "two sections" of the Ballon d'Or award because both Lionel Messi of Inter Miami and Erling Haaland of Manchester City deserve the honor, City's manager Pep Guardiola suggested on Friday.

"Always I said the Ballon d'Or should be in two sections; one for Messi, then after another one so Haaland should win, yes," Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday.

Messi led Argentina to win the FIFA World Cup title in Qatar in December 2022, bringing the trophy back home for the first time since 1986. Haaland scored 52 goals in 53 games for City during the 2022-23 season, helping the club win the Premier League title, the FA Cup and their first UEFA Champions League title in franchise history.

"We won the treble, he scored a million goals. The worst season for Messi is the best for the rest of the players. Both deserve it. Realistically I want Haaland to have it cause he helped us achieve what we achieved, I would love it. But Messi won the World Cup," Guardiola said.

City were struggling in the Premier League before the international break as they suffered two straight losses to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal. The reigning champions also lost to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup. Haaland didn't score even one goal in the three games.

City will host Brighton at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and they will have their key midfielder Rodri back after a three-game suspension. The team struggled to make plays without him.

"So important. He will learn. He got sent off. But there was two fouls on Rodri where the referee didn't apply the rule, without that he doesn't get sent off. After that he has to learn. Control emotions, stand up and go. I'm pretty sure he will learn," Guardiola said.

As for the other key orchestrator of City, Kevin De Bruyne, who only played 22 minutes in the season opener, Guardiola said he has no idea when he come back.