Erling lost to Messi? Nor way!
ROBBED. That’s the view from Norway, after Erling Haaland was pipped for the Ballon d’or by Lionel Messi last week.
Despite his recordbreaking goalscoring and Treble-winning exploits, the Manchester City megastar still could not topple the Argentine, who won the prize for record eighth time.
Gunnar Halle has known Haaland since he was a kid kicking a ball around at Elland Road with his dad, Alfie Haaland. And he says there was disappointment but no real surprise in the big striker’s home country.
“He won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Champions League and scored almost 60 goals – I’m not sure what else he could have done!” said Halle. “He was fantastic, but I think people were expecting Messi to win it.
“They hoped that Erling would, but because of the World Cup I think it was always going to be Messi.
“I’m not sure anyone in Norway was too surprised.
“Erling’s statistics are incredible, and the way he has been scoring, and the competitions he has won, he probably should have won. But there you go. That happens sometimes.
“It certainly won’t change the way that people feel about him here. Everywhere you look there are Manchester City shirts with his name on the back.
“Before they would have been Manchester United shirts – you don’t see that anymore!”
What people in Norway really want to see, is Haaland playing against the world’s best in a Norway shirt at a World Cup finals or European Championship.
That looks unlikely in the immediate future, with Norway struggling to make it to Euro 2024. But Halle believes if anyone can get them back there, it’s the Manchester man.
Halle added: “There’s an expectation on him when he plays for Norway, of course there is. But he can cope with that.
“And the Ballon d’or? Don’t worry, Erling will win it next year!”