At only 22 years old, can Erling Haaland deprive Lionel Messi of an 8th Ballon d'Or when he is designated on October 30? Asking the question on December 18, when the Argentine had just lifted for the first time the Jules-Rimet Cup rewarding the winner of the World Cup, seemed incongruous to say the least. Especially since at that time, the "Pulga" was literally walking on water with Paris SG, which confirmed him as the favorite to succeed Karim Benzema. Tired for Messi, since this coronation that he was waiting for, he has at least disappeared from circulation. Eliminated in the 8th finals of the Champions League with the capital club by Bayern Munich by making two ghostly performances, the former Barcelona player also did not shine on the green meadows of Ligue 1. Enough to open the door to a Norwegian of 1.94m and nearly 90 kilos?
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- Champions League schedule and results
For now, the odds of the Argentine remain very high with bookmakers but that of the Manchester City striker continues to climb. On an individual level, but also collectively. And on Saturday night, at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, the "Cyborg" will knock down his final card to try to turn the tide in a Champions League final that could allow his club, Manchester City, to achieve a fabulous treble with the title of champion of England and the trophy of the FA Cup. A success in terms of the list which, obviously, can only argue in its favor with the hundred or so jurors called to express their votes. Especially if it is accompanied by a great performance in this final. Thus, by scoring a double for example in the Istanbul enclosure, Haaland would bring his total of achievements this season to 54, all competitions combined. A truly astonishing, dignified figure... of the Lionel Messi of the great hours.
A ton of goals but...
In the Premier League, he set a new record with 36 goals, erasing the 34 of Andy Cole and Alan Shearer. Great art for a player who did not need the slightest time to adapt to his new club and his new championship, he who joined Manchester last summer from Borussia Dortmund for the tidy sum of 75 million euros. Already highly profitable. The Norwegian also hit the European stage with 12 goals. These figures are staggering, but they should be moderated. In the Champions League, the Norwegian scored almost half of his goals against RB Leipzig in the 8th final return (5 goals in the 7-0 inflicted by City on the German club), and he remained silent against Real Madrid in the semifinals. Ditto in the FA Cup where he was "content" with a hat-trick against Burnley in the quarter-finals (6-0), without managing to find the way to the opposing net in the final against Manchester United (2-1). Hence the feeling that, to make an even greater impression, he would have to be decisive in the final. As was for example Messi against France Qatar with a double.
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An absolute necessity also linked to other factors. Such as Messi's popularity in South America in particular, and in the world of football in general, while Haaland impresses without totally seducing, in a way. His participation in the game is always questionable, which even his own coach, Pep Guardiola, reproaches him, who dreams of making him an all-terrain striker who can also create for others. Which he is capable of, but only intermittently so far. It is also difficult to blame him for his Norwegian nationality, but it is obvious that Haaland can only suffer from his absence from the World Cup, THE competition that brings points. When we see that a Robert Lewandowski, another serial-striker patent in the same situation as him with a selection – Poland – of second rank (but who has at least lived the World Cup), has never had the Ballon d'Or, it is clear that the striker of the Citizens would be well advised to mark this final at Inter Milan, to the particularly impervious rearguard. Not to mention, the last argument against him, that a Kevin De Bruyne also attracts a lot of light at City and it is never good to be several to shine in the same team. Ask the Blues world champions in 2018 and finally beaten by Luka Modric...
