Erling Haaland adjudged 2023 IFFHS World’s Best Player
Manchester City’s striker, Erling Haaland, has been crowned as the world’s best football player for 2023, as announced by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).
With a decisive victory, Haaland accumulated a hefty 208 points to clinch the title. Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain and Lionel Messi, playing for both Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentina national team, trailed behind in second and third places with 105 and 85 points respectively.
The Norwegian footballer’s striking performance has been nothing short of remarkable. During the previous season, he scored an astounding 52 goals in 53 matches for Manchester City. His pivotal contributions were instrumental in securing Manchester City’s treble victory, which consisted of the Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the Champions League trophy.
Not resting on his laurels, Haaland has continued his prolific scoring streak into this season with 19 goals in 22 matches, playing a significant role in City’s triumphs in the European Super Cup and the Club World Championship.
The IFFHS Player of the Year award, established in 1988 with Marco van Basten as its first recipient, has a storied history. After merging with the FIFA World Player of the Year in the 1990s, the IFFHS resumed presenting its own separate award in 2020. The award has seen Robert Lewandowski as its winner for 2020 and 2021, and Lionel Messi as its 2022 recipient. Haaland’s win makes him the first Norwegian to be bestowed with this honour.
Manchester City’s prowess is evident in the top ten list of the past year, with Haaland leading a group of four players from the team. Teammates Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, and Bernardo Silva took the 4th, 6th, and 8th spots respectively. Other notable mentions in the top ten include Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid, Harry Kane who transferred from Tottenham to Bayern Munich, and Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan.
