Erling Haaland, the prolific striker for Manchester City, holds a belief that he can secure the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, even when the odds seem stacked in favor of Lionel Messi. Haaland’s confidence is grounded in his exceptional performance during his debut season with Manchester City, where he netted an astonishing 52 goals, contributing significantly to the club’s victories in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, and Super Cup. This remarkable individual season saw him shatter numerous scoring records in the Premier League.
In most circumstances, such a season would make Haaland a top contender for the Ballon d’Or, but in 2023, Lionel Messi stands as the frontrunner due to his World Cup triumph with Argentina. Messi’s exceptional leadership led Argentina to victory in the Qatar World Cup, where he scored crucial goals, including two in the final and others in the penalty shootout. Although Messi’s form with PSG was strong, it did not quite match Haaland’s, making the Norwegian striker believe that he has a decent chance of defying expectations when the Ballon d’Or winner is announced in late October.
During an interview with France Football, the organization responsible for the Ballon d’Or, Haaland was questioned about his self-assessment as the world’s finest striker. He responded diplomatically, acknowledging the competition but expressing confidence in his chances: “In my opinion… It all depends on how we define ‘striker.’ The query is a ruse. I’m absolutely in the running. Is it true that I am the best? Maybe. I realize I still have a lot to learn. I’m still rather young. But, yeah, I believe I have a chance [this year] to win the Ballon d’Or.”
While Kylian Mbappe, who played a pivotal role in taking France to the World Cup final, is another contender for the coveted award, Haaland downplayed the notion of a rivalry between him and Mbappe, akin to the long-standing comparisons between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He acknowledged the greatness of Messi and Ronaldo, emphasizing that they continue to excel despite their advancing age. Haaland’s perspective on competition is grounded in self-improvement: “But I never talk about pitting myself against other players; that’s not how I see things. I only try to be better every day, to keep enjoying what I do and being the greatest version of myself.”
Haaland also shed light on his goal-scoring prowess, particularly his ability to find space in the box and capitalize on crosses. He described this as a blend of instinct and hard work, where instinct manifests as an innate sense of where the ball will be. This intuition is complemented by rigorous training, individual skill enhancement, and understanding one’s teammates—a combination of game awareness and the sixth sense that signals, ‘It’s now.’
