Manuel Akanji gives verdict on Man City teammate Erling Haaland's Ballon d'Or snub
manchestereveningnews.co.ukManuel Akanji insists Manchester City teammate Erling Haaland is more concerned with team trophies than the Ballon d'Or. Haaland came a close second in the 2023 awards behind Lionel Messi, who was voted the world's best player after helping Argentina to win the World Cup in Qatar.
The Norwegian may have felt unfortunate not to have won, having netted an incredible 52 goals last season as City won a historic treble.
At 23 years old, there will be plenty of future opportunities for Haaland to win the famous trophy and he is expected to battle Kylian Mbappe over the next decade.
But while Akanji hopes to see his teammate reach the top, he believes major honours at City are more of a priority. ALSO READ: Guardiola hints at new City role for Grealish ALSO READ: Haaland gives emphatic response to Guardiola in City win "He did everything he could last year," Akanji told ESPN. "He's scored 50 goals and won the treble. "Of course, it would have been nice for him to win but it's not just about that.
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