What Erling Haaland needs to win the Ballon d'Or
It has been revealed what Manchester City striker Erling Haaland must do to be recognized as the best player on the planet. Former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise, in an interview with GOAL, emphasized that for the Norwegian star to become a worthy successor to legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he must score "an incredible amount of goals." This is reported by Goal.com .
In the 2022-23 season, Erling Haaland won the treble with Manchester City, clinching the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League, while scoring 52 goals. However, that same year, Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to victory at the World Cup in Qatar, won his eighth Ballon d'Or, while Haaland had to settle for second place.
Currently, the 25-year-old striker has managed to score 162 goals in 198 matches for Manchester City and is closing in on his third Premier League Golden Boot. Riise believes that while young talents like Lamine Yamal and Michael Olise are attracting more fan attention with their technical skills, Haaland can only surpass them with record-breaking goal tallies.
"Erling should have won this award a few years ago. If he wants to contend again, he must play in a system where his goal output is mind-boggling. People are calling his current season average, but he is still scoring a lot. If he sets new Premier League records, he cannot be ignored," added Riise.
Furthermore, the Norway national team is expected to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998, which will provide Haaland with a great opportunity to prove himself on the international stage as well. If the striker continues his phenomenal performance, it is only a matter of time before he wins the prestigious award.
