That’s the view from Norway after Erling Haaland was pipped for the Ballon d’Or by Lionel Messi last week. Despite his record-breaking goalscoring and treble-winning exploits, the Manchester City megastar still couldn’t topple the Argentine, who won the prize for record-breaking eighth time.
Gunnar Halle has known Haaland since he was a kid kicking a ball around at Elland Road with his dad, Alfie. And he told Sunday Mirror Sport that there was disappointment but no real surprise in Haaland’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!” says 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 that anyone in Norway was too surprised. Erling 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. But it certainly won’t change the way that people feel about him. 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, if Haaland playing against the world’s best in a Norway shirt at a World Cup or European Championship. That always 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.
“There’s an expectation on him when he plays for Norway, of course there is,” he says. “But he can cope with that. In fact, he can cope with everything. With him and (Martin) Odegaard on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, there’s real hope for the future. And the Ballon d’Or? Don’t worry, Erling will win it next season.”
Haaland drew a blank in the 6-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday, before being substituted at half-time with an injury. Boss Pep Guardiola is confident he will soon recover and has backed him to hit top form.