Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund has revealed his opinion on the three finest players in the world, with Cristiano Ronaldo missing out.
Over the last two years, Haaland has been in blistering form for Dortmund, with his astounding goal record of 80 strikes in just 79 games making him one of the most sought-after players in the world.
The 21-year-old was named to the FIFA Best Awards squad of the year for his outstanding play, while Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski was named the world’s best men’s player.
When asked who would make the cut for Haaland’s top team, he also identified Lewandowski as the best in the world.
But there was no room in Haaland’s fantasy team for Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo, widely regarded as one of the best ever.
“That’s a good question, but I believe you would have to say Lewandowski number one, then you have, for me, Benzema has also been amazing, but Messi has also been outstanding – so Benzema and Messi in shared second and third position,” Haaland told Sky Sports.
Ronaldo has been in good form since returning to England, but Manchester United has suffered this season.
About the last decade, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated world football, with debates raging over who is the finest player in the world.
Lewandowski has recently pushed the duo for that position, but he is also nearing the end of his career.
In terms of the future, Haaland appears to be destined to take the throne.
During his brief stay in Germany, the hitman has developed into a goalscoring phenomenon.
Unsurprisingly, speculation about Haaland’s future has been prevalent, and it has only gotten worse after he recently stated that Dortmund was “pressing” him to make a choice on whether he wants to stay or leave the Bundesliga club in the summer.
But he has emphasized that he wants to move past the conjecture and let his football speak for itself between now and the end of the season.
“I don’t want to speak too much about it,” Haaland continued, “but I felt it was time for me to say something.”
“Because so many others were speaking, that was the end of it. I don’t want to say too much right now. I stated what I had to say, and now we’re moving on.”
Despite Haaland’s efforts to keep speculation about his future to a minimum, it remains likely that he will depart Dortmund in the summer.
A £64 million release clause in Haaland’s contract is expected to be activated this summer, with a slew of European heavyweights poised to pounce.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are both expected to make a move for Haaland, while Manchester City is expected to go all out in their pursuit of the ex-RB Salzburg man.
Pep Guardiola is looking to sign a new No.9 ahead of next season after City failed to sign Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane last summer.
And Haaland may choose to turn down La Liga’s interest in order to follow in his father’s footsteps and play for City.
