Erling Haaland of Man City makes a frank admission about his Ballon d’Or belief after receiving a nomination
Erling Haaland has earned a nomination for the 2023 Ballon d’Or following a remarkable debut season with Manchester City.
The 23-year-old Norwegian made the switch to Manchester City last summer when the club activated his £51.2 million release clause at Borussia Dortmund.
Describing his first season with the Cityzens as successful would be an understatement – Haaland delivered an astonishing performance by netting an impressive 52 goals in 53 matches across all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s team.
However, Haaland’s impact wasn’t limited to individual success alone; he played a pivotal role as Manchester City achieved a historic Treble by securing the Premier League, FA Cup, and the Champions League titles.
In concerning news for Premier League defenses, Erling Haaland has resumed his prolific form from last season during the early stages of the current campaign, netting an impressive six goals in as many games for Manchester City so far.
Haaland is among the nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, a list that includes several of his teammates from both the Premier League and Manchester City.
Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Julian Alvarez, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol are all part of the shortlist for this prestigious award. Notably, Karim Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or last year, departed Real Madrid this summer to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.
After his incredible campaign last season, Haaland probably stands as good a chance as any of those named on the shortlist to claim the Ballon D’Or when the winner is announced at the end of October.
And the man himself believes that is indeed the case – with the scary thing for opposition sides being that he believes he still has room to improve.
Speaking toFrance Football, Haaland said: “I know I can still improve a great deal, I’m still young. But yes, I believe I have a chance this year.
“I’d like people to remember me as a special player, in the way I play. This is what I’m trying to do every week: show special stuff.”
