On October 31, 2023, Lionel Messi set a record by winning his 8th Ballon d’Or in his career, surpassing strong candidates such as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. This achievement was mainly due to his excellent performance at the 2022 World Cup, where Messi led the Argentina team to the championship and scored 7 goals and 3 assists.

After the award ceremony, Erling Haaland shared his feelings about this result. He said he was not sad about not winning the Ballon d’Or, but on the contrary, felt proud to compete and lose to a legend like Messi, who has won this prestigious award 8 times. Haaland emphasized that: “You cannot hate Messi if you are a true football fan.”

Haaland’s statement shows respect and admiration for Messi, and reflects the noble spirit of sportsmanship. Despite an impressive season with Manchester City, scoring 52 goals in 53 games and helping the team win a historic treble, Haaland remained humble and acknowledged the achievements of his opponents.

The humility and mutual respect between top players like Messi and Haaland not only adds value to the Ballon d’Or award, but also inspires fans with a sense of true sportsmanship.

There is no denying that Erling Haaland has had a phenomenal season with Manchester City, helping Pep Guardiola’s side win a historic treble of Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. His incredible goalscoring record has placed Haaland among the best players in the world today. However, losing out to Messi in the Ballon d’Or race is not a disappointment, but rather reinforces the value of the award and the greatness of Lionel Messi.

Haaland’s statement: “You can’t hate Messi if you’re a true football fan” has sparked much discussion in the football community. In Spain, where the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona is fierce, some Los Blancos fans may feel disappointed that their player didn’t win. However, even true Madridistas would find it hard to deny that Messi is one of the greatest players in football history. Haaland’s public display of respect for Messi could help ease the unnecessary controversy surrounding this year’s Ballon d’Or results.

Meanwhile, experts also highly appreciate Haaland’s attitude. Many football legends such as Thierry Henry, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Lineker have praised the Norwegian striker for his maturity in thinking. The respect that Haaland has for Messi not only shows sportsmanship, but also helps him build the image of a professional player, not letting himself get caught up in unnecessary controversy. This is important, especially when Haaland is still very young and has a long career ahead of him to continue to assert himself.

However, the question is: Can Haaland win the Ballon d’Or in the future? With his current form, this possibility is completely possible. If he continues to maintain his incredible scoring performance, winning more titles with Man City or another big team, Haaland will certainly become a top candidate for this noble individual award. He himself understands that and does not let himself be affected by a defeat against Messi.

While the road ahead is still long, the most important thing is that Haaland is showing the attitude of a true champion – humble, professional and full of desire. He is not only a scoring machine but also a new symbol of modern football, ready to inherit the legacy left by Messi and Ronaldo. And perhaps, the day Haaland raises the Golden Ball will not be far away.