Haaland Suggests Messi Retirement: The Debate on Football’s Greatest Player

2024-03-06 11:13:38

Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker, made an interesting offer to the Argentine star Lionel Messi, the American star of Inter Miami, asking him to retire.

The Norwegian Hurricane said during a press conference that he considers Messi the best football player in the world at the present time. But he suggested that he retire from the “Bulga” so that another player can shine his star in the world of football.

The Norwegian international said, “I won all the possible titles with City, but I am only 23 years old, and I want more. Messi is the best football player ever. Maybe he should retire so that someone else can be seen as the best.”

🚨 Erling Haaland: “Lionel Messi is the best player that has ever played football. Maybe he has to retire for someone else to be regarded as the best.” @IanCheeseman 🇳🇴🐐 pic.twitter.com/qMIUvwGEcU

— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) March 5, 2024

The player, nicknamed “The Catapult,” admitted that it may be difficult for any player to win the Ballon d’Or while the Argentine legend is still playing football.

Haaland came in second place behind Messi in the 2023 Ballon d’Or voting last October.

Messi also beat him in the vote for the Best Player Award presented by FIFA last January.

Haaland missed out on these two major individual awards despite scoring 52 goals in 53 matches in his first season with Manchester City, which won the treble of the English Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.

Regarding his view as currently the best striker in the world, Haaland said, “I wasted a lot of opportunities, and yet I will continue to score goals.”

He added during a press conference on Tuesday: “Maybe I will miss great opportunities in the future, and then people will criticize me. Should I continue to think regarding it? No.”

The former Borussia Dortmund striker continued: “People say I am good at scoring goals, but I wasted many opportunities in the past to reach this level.”

The Norwegian striker scored 28 goals in 31 matches with Manchester City in all competitions this season. The Citizens currently occupies second place in the English Premier League, only one point behind Liverpool.

1709725335
#Haaland #suggests #Messi #retire #sports