Erling Haaland on the 2023 Ballon d’Or: “I believe I have a chance this year.”

In a wide-ranging interview with France Football, 2023 Ballon d’Or nominee Erling Haaland (23) said he believes he has a genuine shot at winning the most coveted individual prize in world football.

The Manchester City striker found the back of the net a staggering 56 times in all competitions with Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side this past campaign. Haaland is arguably one of the favourites to succeed Karim Benzema as the planet’s best football player alongside PSG striker Kylian Mbappé and 2022 World Cup winner Lionel Messi. When asked by the weekly magazine if he considers himself the best forward in the world, Haaland remained coy. “In my mind… It all depends on what we mean by striker. It’s a trick question. I’m definitely up there. Am I the best? Maybe.“

When talk of a maiden Ballon d’Or win on October 30th emerged during the interview, Haaland said he really believes in himself. “I know I can still improve a great deal; I’m still young. But yes, I believe I have a chance this year.”

Haaland also opened up on his game which relies heavily on his second-to-none positional awareness in the penalty box. “This is part instinct and, obviously, hard work. Instinct is the belief the ball will come in a given place, a kind of sixth sense hidden in the brain. But apart from that, you need to work a lot, work on your individual abilities, and learn to understand your teammates. It’s an understanding of the game with that instinct that tells you: ‘It’s now'”.

Haaland also told France Football that he never doubts himself and that he feels different from the other players. “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.“

GFFN | Bastien Cheval