“Still has a Ballon d’Or to win; Deserves it”- Fans troll Lionel Messi after Erling Haaland beats him to win UEFA Player of the Year

Erling Haaland's first ever UEFA Player of the Year award trends on social media as he wins the accolade after a historic debut treble season.

“Still has a Ballon d’Or to win; Deserves it”- Fans troll Lionel Messi after Erling Haaland beats him to win UEFA Player of the Year

(L) Erling Haaland (R) Lionel Messi (Source: Manchester City/ Barcelona)

Fans on social media have had their say after Manchester City’s Erling Haaland edged the veteran Lionel Messi to win UEFA’s Player of The Year award. The 22-year-old was in high spirits as he won his first-ever significant accolade over one of the best players ever. UEFA had also nominated his teammate Kevin De Bruyne for the award. However, the striker was the unanimous favorite with his 50+ goals performance in the previous season.

While Lionel Messi had previously expressed his desire not to be competitive for individual awards anymore, his fans still felt it was undeserving to crown the youngster over the World Cup winner. The Argentine had led his team to get his hands on the beautiful FIFA trophy for the first time but had an underwhelming season when it came to his clubs.

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However, ever since Manchester City achieved the historic treble, football has noticed a shift in the winds for the Mancunian club. Many fans on social media defended UEFA’s choice and even went further to say that Haaland’s individual tally would be incomplete without the ‘Ballon D’or.’

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Lionel Messi has claimed the prestigious French award seven times, displaying minimal interest. His accomplished career lacked a World Cup triumph. The upcoming event is poised for historical significance as either Messi secures an eighth title or Haaland wins his inaugural honor, potentially shaping modern football’s hierarchy.

Related: Jude Bellingham creates history in the very first month of joining Real Madrid, attains special record in La Liga

Twitter reacts to Erling Haaland winning the UEFA Player of the Year

Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland (Source: FIFA)

Erling Haaland’s maiden win of his first-ever Player of The Year trophy was highly trending on Twitter. With the striker moving to Manchester in a historic first season for the club, himself, and the entirety of Europe, many fans went into a frenzy. In contrast, many saw him winning the accolade beforehand.

Some compared him to Lionel Messi, feeling undeserved. While some said it was high time the modern game moved ahead to the new generation. Here are some of the reactions:

Haaland was hailed to have reached a level of ‘superstardom’ in just a year. With football inheriting a new prince, it will surely be exciting to see him develop further and be a role model for future generations as the former ‘Golden Boy’ eyes the Ballon’dor next.

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