Ballon d'Or: Haaland Breaks Silence After He Lost Award to Lionel Messi

• Erling Haland's hopes of winning the 2023 edition of the Ballon d'Or were ended on Monday night
• The Manchester City ace was pipped to the award by Inter Miami superstar, Lionel Messi
• This was Messi's eighth Ballon d'Or triumph of his glittering football career

Manchester City hotshot, Erling Haaland has broken his silence after he lost the Ballon d'Or award to Lionel Messi.

The Norwegian was among the frontrunners for the prestigious prize after an incredible debut season with City last term.

Haaland enjoyed a bright start to life with the Premier League giants in his first season with them, scoring an eyewatering 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions.

His incredible goalscoring prowess helped the Cityzens secure a historic treble, which included the Champions League crown.

The youngster was subsequently nominated for the Ballon d'Or award, alongside 29 other nominees.

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While many contended he was a favourite for the prize, Euro Sport reports that Haaland lost it to Messi during a glitzy ceremony hosted in Paris on Monday night.

Haaland breaks his silence

The Man City ace has now broken his social media silence hours after he missed out on the accolade.

The former Borussia Dortmund ace took to X to express his gratitude for winning the Gerd Müller award.

He also congratulated City for being named the best club of the year.

However, there was no mention of the Ballon d'Or, or its eventual winner, Messi.

"Grateful for the Gerd Müller award and congratulations to @ManCity for best club of the year," he posted.

"Thank you to all my team-mates, the club staff and all fans for making it all possible," he added.

Neymar Jr. congratulates Lionel Messi

Sports Brief also reported on how Neymar celebrated his long-time friend Messi after the Argentine won an 8th Ballon d’Or.

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Neymar suffered a serious injury in the October international break, ruling him out of action for at least six months.

This, however, did not stop him from taking to social media to share a lovely message with his former teammate.