In a momentous celebration of his historic World Cup victory, French Football honored him with his eighth Ballon d’Or in October 2023. Interestingly, Messi claimed the prestigious prize in the same year that Erling achieved a remarkable continental treble with Manchester City, breaking the Premier League’s goal-scoring record along the way. Haaland’s controversial exclusion from the Ballon d’Or race led to a heated debate among soccer legends and fans. In an exclusive interview with Markus Fjortoft, he believes that the sentimentality and romanticism associated with the FIFA World Cup played a significant role in giving Leo Messi the advantage over Erling Haaland in the pursuit of the Ballon d’Or. Fjortoft empathized with Haaland’s perspective and questioned what more a treble-winning player like him needed to do in order to secure the prestigious award.
During the interview, Fjortoft continued, “However, when we analyze the entire season and consider what Haaland accomplished throughout, I am careful not to belittle Messi because Messi is Messi. Nevertheless, when assessing the entire season, I believe Haaland would have been deserving of the Ballon d’Or.”
Shortly thereafter, Jan Aage Fjortoft, Markus’ father and a seasoned Norwegian striker, interjected by highlighting the difference between the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA Best Award. He pointed out that Lionel Messi’s triumph in the 2022 World Cup was not taken into account for the Ballon d’Or, whereas it was considered for Erling Haaland’s treble win with City. Jan Aage Fjortoft expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “What I found unfair was the last award, the FIFA award. I believe it should have been clearly communicated to the players and coaches that the World Cup would not be factored into the decision.” He humorously added, “If it were up to Messi, he would win every award, just like The Godfather (1972) would win every Oscar.”
This marks the first time that the soccer community has raised so many questions regarding Messi’s victory in an award ceremony. It is worth noting that in previous editions, a player who achieved a treble had never failed to win such accolades. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland continues his pursuit of glory, as Manchester City has another opportunity to secure a treble this season.
According to the Source essentiallysports.com