Stale Solbakken, the head coach of the Norwegian national football team, has expressed his reservations about Erling Haaland winning the Ballon d’Or this year. Despite Haaland’s exceptional performance in the previous season, where he scored an astonishing 36 goals in just 35 games and broke the Premier League’s single-season goal-scoring record, Solbakken believes that Lionel Messi should be the deserving recipient of the prestigious award.
Haaland’s remarkable achievements continued in the Champions League, where he led all players with 12 goals and helped his team, Manchester City, secure the championship in Istanbul. These accomplishments have sparked widespread calls for Haaland to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023, especially after he continued to amass an impressive goal tally under the management of Pep Guardiola.
The young Norwegian striker has also been a consistent goal scorer for his national team, which is under Solbakken’s guidance. Solbakken himself had a brief but noteworthy stint in the Premier League as a midfielder with Wimbledon between 1997 and 1998.
When asked about his opinion on the potential Ballon d’Or winner, Solbakken stated that he believes Messi should clinch the award due to his recent World Cup victory with Argentina. This aligns with the sentiment of many football enthusiasts, as Messi is the overwhelming favorite to secure his seventh Ballon d’Or, primarily because of his outstanding performances for both club and country.
Messi’s move to Major League Soccer (MLS) team Inter Miami in the summer marked a significant milestone in his career. Prior to joining the MLS, he achieved the pinnacle of success by being named the player of the competition at the World Cup, a feat that many believed should have guaranteed him the Ballon d’Or. However, opinions on this matter vary.
On the other hand, Haaland has not been shy about expressing his ambition to compete for the prestigious award. He acknowledged that the question of whether he deserves it depends on how one defines a striker. Haaland recognizes that he still has much to learn and considers himself a young player, but he believes he has a legitimate chance to win the Ballon d’Or this year.
