Manchester Metropolis striker Erling Haaland could also be probably the greatest gamers on this planet, however he will not be within the room when the Ballon d’Or is awarded in Paris on Monday, preferring as an alternative a visit to Sweden the place his pal Erik Botheim can win the league with Malmö.
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The 24-year-old Ballon d’Or nominee was noticed in Malmö early on Monday night forward of their sport in opposition to bitter rivals IFK Gothenburg, the place a victory would give them their second straight Allsvenskan title and fourth in 5 years.
Haaland and Botheim turned buddies whereas taking part in for Norway’s junior nationwide workforce, and so they additionally featured in a rap video along with Erik Sandberg that has been considered greater than 12 million instances on YouTube.
Haaland scored 27 targets in 31 matches as Metropolis retained their Premier League title final season. On the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony he completed as runner-up to Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
Botheim, additionally a striker, has been named within the beginning line-up for Malmo on Monday, which kicks off at 1910 CET (1810 GMT), 50 minutes earlier than the Ballon d’Or gala is ready to get underway.
Haaland just isn’t the one star avoiding Monday’s festivities. Sources have instructed ESPN that Vinícius Júnior and his Actual Madrid teammates is not going to attend the ceremony within the French capital, as a result of they imagine Manchester Metropolis midfielder Rodri will obtain the award.
Vinícius, 24, was a number one contender to win the 2024 males’s prize after main Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double final season.
One membership supply considers it “unfair” and “a shame” that Vinícius wouldn’t win the award. Not attending the ceremony is a type of protest as a way to boycott what one other membership supply considers “a historic theft.”
Info from ESPN’s Gustavo Hofman and Rodrigo Faez contributed to this report
