Gary Lineker was left stunned by Erling Haaland’s hunger for goals at the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony. Many believed the Manchester City talisman should have scooped the prestigious award, given to the best player over a given season.
Lionel Messi earned the crown for a record eighth time following his World Cup exploits as Haaland, who bagged 52 times across all competitions in a City side that won a historic treble, missed out.
The Norwegian superstar has continued his ruthless goalscoring streak this season and will likely scoop the honour later in his career.
While Haaland missed out on the Ballon d’Or, he did collect the Gerd Muller Trophy, awarded to the highest-scoring player in Europe from the previous campaign. ALSO READ: City player ratings vs Young Boys ALSO READ: Haaland gives emphatic response to City win England legend Lineker presented him with the award and, ironically, finished as runner-up for the Ballon d’Or himself in 1986.