After a strong debut season with Manchester City, Haaland is among the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or, but he must defeat Messi to take home the trophy.
Even against the overwhelming favorite Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland thinks he stands a decent chance of taking home the Ballon d’Or.
Haaland helped Manchester City win the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup in his first season there with 52 goals, and at the start of this season, they added the Super Cup to their trophy case. Haaland, who broke numerous Premier League goalscoring records, had one of the best individual seasons among players.
Normally a year like Haaland’s would make him the clear favorite for the Ballon d’Or award, but Lionel Messi’s World Cup-winning performances with Argentina have made the Argentina forward the favorite for the 2023 prize.
Messi led Argentina to victory in the World Cup final and the team’s decisive penalty shootout in Qatar in December. The City player claims he has a decent chance of beating the odds when the winner is declared at the end of October, even if his form for PSG was solid but not as strong as Haaland’s.
Speaking to France Football, who organise the Ballon d’Or, Haaland was discussing his chances and his ability to improve from his incredible 12 months in Manchester.
Asked if he considered himself the best striker in the world, he replied diplomatically: “In my mind… It all depends on what we mean by striker. It’s a trick question. I’m definitely up there. Am I the best? Maybe.’
“I know I can still improve a great deal. I’m still young. But yes, I believe I have a chance [at winning the Ballon d’Or] this year.”
