Haaland wins Gerd Müller trophy as best striker of the season

Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland had to make do with the consolation prize of the Gerd Müller Award for 2023′s Best Striker, as he was beaten by Leo Messi to the Ballon d’Or at the gala ceremony held this evening, Monday, at the Theatre de Chatelet, in the heart of Paris.

Organised by France Football, the award recognised Haaland for his historic season, which included clinching the treble with Manchester City.

Haaland’s 56 goals in 57 appearances, representing both Manchester City and the Norwegian national team, proved decisive in swinging the award his way. He succeeds Robert Lewandowski, the 2022 trophy holder, and becomes the first Norwegian player to win an award at this prestigious gala. This is a remarkable achievement for a country of just 5 million inhabitants, where football is far from the dominant sport.

It’s an important step for the Manchester City striker in what promises to be a long and illustrious career, with PSG forward Kylian Mbappé also keen to stake his claim to be the leading striker of this generation. Other contenders such as Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham are also knocking on the door. “I want to thank my club, the staff, and my family for helping me become who I am,” said the Norwegian upon receiving the award.

The French contender, Mbappé, was unable to oust Haaland from top spot due to his limited impact at the club level. Despite making history with a hat-trick in the World Cup final, Mbappé's chances were hampered by a loss to Argentina and a dramatic exit from the Champions League’s Round of 16 against Bayern Munich, leaving him with little room to vie for any of the awards presented by France Football.