At the age of 23 and with so much of his career still to come, Erling Haaland has broken and set unimaginable records. The Norwegian striker has an uncanny ability to find the back of the net and has done so everywhere he’s gone. Perhaps the most significant of his 2023 achievements is helping Manchester City make history.
Manchester City secured their first treble in history this season with Erling Haaland’s immense input. He has scored more goals than both Lionel Messi and Harry Kane this year; no surprise, Lothar Mathaus snubbed the others for him as he picked 2023’s best as he takes home major awards at BBCSPOTY Ceremony.
Matthaus favours Haaland over Kane, Messi
Perhaps the greatest achievement of Lionel Messi’s 2023 is his 8th Ballon d’Or which he won recently, but how does Erling Haaland compare to him in 2023? Erling Haaland has casually scored 19 goals so far this season, six times claiming at least two goals and in the whole of 2023, the Norwegian talisman has registered a total of 49 goals, winning the Golden Player Man Awards and a number of others.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi has secured the men’s Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time while Erling Haaland, currently 23 years old has not won any just yet. This achievement comes after fulfilling his lifelong ambition of leading Argentina to victory in the World Cup in Qatar last year.
In 55 appearances in 2023, Lionel Messi who is currently 36 years old has recorded a whopping number of 32 goals in 55 appearances across all competitions. In addition to this, he has also registered 25 assists. Lionel Messi made a move to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami in June. He played a role in Inter Miami’s victory in the 2023 League Cup and was also part of the PSG team that won the 2022-23 French Super Cup.
Harry Kane has also had an outstanding 2023 record, scoring 43 goals across all competitions for Tottenham Hotspurs and Bayern Munich.
Though a spill over from 2022, in 2023 Erling Haaland secured the treble with Manchester City. Hence it is no surprise that Lothar Matthaus thinks he has had a better 2023 than both Lionel Messi and Harry Kane, after he won the World Sports Star at the BBCSPOTY award.
Haaland’s 2023 by numbers
Erling Haaland has rapidly established himself as one of football’s premier current goal scorers, setting multiple records in the 2022/23 season before making a strong start to the 2023/24 season.
The Norwegian striker possesses an exceptional knack for finding the back of the net, showcasing his scoring prowess everywhere he goes. His recent achievements include aiding Manchester City in winning the UEFA Champions League for the first time, culminating in an outstanding individual season and adding to his collection of Premier League and FA Cup medals.
In the 2023/24 season alone, Erling Haaland has scored 22 goals already in just 19 games. The Norwegian talisman has impressively scored a total of 49 goals, earning him accolades such as the Golden Player Man Award and the BBC World Sports Star Award.
How would you rate Erling Haaland’s 2022-23 season? Tell us in the comments section.
