Riise Claims Haaland Deserved Ballon d'Or Over Messi

John Arne Riise, a former left-back for Liverpool, stated that Erling Haaland, the striker for Manchester City, should have won the Ballon d'Or. Riise pointed out that Haaland scored an impressive 52 goals during the 2022-2023 season, contributing significantly to Manchester City's treble victory, which included the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League.

Despite this remarkable performance, Haaland lost the Ballon d'Or to Argentina's captain Lionel Messi, who had previously won the award three years ago. Riise expressed his belief that Haaland's scoring ability and overall performance should have earned him the prestigious award, indicating that he is a player who can achieve this recognition in the future if he continues to excel.