Lionel Messi is in the twilight of his career, and retirement isn’t far away. His exit, albeit a temporary one from the national side, following the Copa America disappointment in 2016, left millions of soccer fans shattered. One can only imagine the unimaginable amount of grief when he decides to hang up his boots for good! But what retirement advice can you give to one of the most illustrious names in soccer history? Manchester City hitman Erling Haaland offers an interesting take.
For Erling Haaland & Co, a tricky encounter against Copenhagen awaits in the Champions League next. The Norwegian ace’s incredible performances last season resulted in a historic treble and saw him compared to the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner. Can he inspire the Cityzens to a second consecutive treble?
Erling Haaland keeps it simple regarding Messi
In a recent presser, Erling Haaland was all praise for the Inter Miami maestro. He said, “Messi is the best that has ever played. Maybe he has to retire for someone else to be regarded as the best.” Having missed out on the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Best to the Argentine wizard, one would have expected Haaland to hold a slight grudge toward the soccer icon. But it seems that’s not the case. Furthermore, regarding his career aspirations, he said, “I’ve won it all, but I’m only 23, so I want to win it all again.“
Erling: I’ve won it all but I’m only 23, so I want to win it all again. Messi is the best that has ever played, maybe he has to retire for someone else to be regarded as the best.
I’m not thinking of Liverpool, just Copenhagen #ManCity pic.twitter.com/NXCqJsqu2e
— Ian Cheeseman (@IanCheeseman) March 5, 2024
Despite winning more trophies and racking in more goals (50 vs 28), Erling Haaland fell second to Messi in the quest for the Ballon d’Or. Why was that? His teammate Bernardo Silva offered the best possible explanation. Per Silva, Haaland needed to be more involved in games. It is something the Argentine excels at. Perhaps that could explain why Haaland considers Messi the ‘best’, until his retirement.
