Erling Haaland has just concluded his dream debut season with Manchester City. The Norwegian forward achieved a remarkable treble and set a series of goal-scoring records. However, that alone is not enough for him to surpass Lionel Messi in the race for the Ballon d'Or.
The Champions League title won in Istanbul helped Haaland finish an almost perfect season. Prior to bringing home the prestigious trophy, he and his teammates clinched both the Premier League and FA Cup titles. The 2022/23 season also marked a significant leap in the career of the Norwegian striker.
During that season, the 22-year-old player scored an impressive 52 goals in 53 matches for Manchester City, breaking numerous goal-scoring records in England. He also became the top scorer in both the Champions League and the Premier League, earning the European Golden Shoe. However, despite his treble with The Citizens and a string of individual accolades, it may still not be enough for him to become the first Norwegian player in history to win the European Ballon d'Or.
Since the previous award ceremony, France Football has started considering players' performances for both their clubs and national teams within a single season, rather than the entire calendar year. This new regulation inadvertently put Haaland at a disadvantage compared to Messi. While Haaland dominated Messi in terms of club performance (52 goals compared to 21 goals), Messi showcased his significance and contribution to both club and national team with Argentina's triumph in the Qatar World Cup, held in the middle of the 2022/23 season.
To put it simply, Haaland lost when considering his national team's performance. Although the 22-year-old forward might have outscored Messi in club competitions (52 goals versus 21 goals), Messi's contributions for both his club (38 goals, 25 assists) and national team (53 goals, 9 assists) were equally remarkable.
Haaland faced a disadvantage by not participating in the 2022 World Cup. Furthermore, the final stretch of the season became another setback for the Norwegian striker. In contrast to his explosive form in the Manchester City jersey, he managed to score only one goal in the last eight matches of the season.
More importantly, Haaland failed to demonstrate the qualities of a true star, knowing how to step up when his team needed him the most. He had a relatively subdued performance in the FA Cup final, where Ilkay Gundogan shone with a brace. In the latest Champions League final, he again struggled to make an impact against Inter's defense.
In Istanbul, Haaland was almost invisible against the defensive trio of Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Arcebi, and Matteo Darmian. He had minimal involvement with the ball, just 19 touches, 3 aerial duels won, and a single on-target shot. After the match, the Norwegian striker received the second-lowest rating among the starting Manchester City players on Whoscored with 6.69, just above Kevin De Bruyne (6.53), who had to leave the pitch early due to injury.
These numbers are clearly not what one would expect from a star player. Therefore, it would be no surprise if Messi secures his eighth Ballon d'Or. Messi will now embark on his journey to the United States, passing the stage to the next generation of talents like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Haaland himself.
Manchester City dominates Goal's rankings The Ballon d'Or is awarded by France Football, but the website Goal also has its own rankings for the best players of the season. After completing the treble, Manchester City dominated the rankings with 8 players in the Top 20, including Jack Grealish (19), John Stones (18), Bernardo Silva (11), Julian Alvarez (10), Rodri (8), Ilkay Gundogan (6), Kevin De Bruyne (5), and Erling Haaland (2). Lionel Messi tops this ranking.