Erling Haaland suggests he can only win Ballon d'Or once Lionel Messi retires as Man City striker concedes Inter Miami superstar is 'the best to ever play football'

The Manchester City striker had a stellar debut campaign at Etihad Stadium as he scored 52 goals across all competitions to help the club clinch an unprecedented treble. Yet, the Norwegian missed out on the 2023 Ballon d'Or award as he finished second behind Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi, who had guided La Albiceleste to their third World Cup title in December 2022.

When asked if Messi has to hang up his boots in order for him to win the top individual awards, Haaland told a press conference on Tuesday: "Good question! I don’t know. I've won it all but I'm only 23, so I want to win it all again. Messi is the best that has ever played, maybe he has to retire for someone else to be regarded as the best."

While the Norwegian has failed to replicate his incredible goal-scoring rate from last season, he is the frontrunner to win the Premier League Golden Boot once again, as he has scored 18 league goals in 22 appearances. Messi, on the other hand, is on a roll in the new MLS 2024 season with Inter Miami, having recorded four goal contributions in three games.

The Cityzens next take on Copenhagen in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on Wednesday, where Haaland will be aiming to add to his haul of five goals in the competition so far this term, with the reigning European champions 3-1 up on aggregate. Messi, meanwhile, is set to take to the pitch with Inter Miami again when they face Nashville on March 8.