Barcelona legend Patrick Kluivert makes Ballon d'Or claim involving Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr.
Barcelona legend Patrick Kluivert recently said that one of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Junior will win the Ballon d'Or in 2023. All three players were pivotal for their respective teams this past season.
Haaland, along with Lionel Messi, is the consensus favorite to win the prestigious individual honor this year. Sharing his take on the same, Kluivert said (h/t Madrid Zone):
“One of Haaland, Mbappé or Vinícius Jr. will win the Ballon d’Or.”
🗣️ Patrick Kluivert: “One of Haaland, Mbappé or Vinícius Jr. will win the Ballon D’Or.” ⭐️🏆 https://t.co/HndQjXgZyx
Erling Haaland was one of the main protagonists behind Manchester City winning the historic treble this past season. The Norwegian striker scored 52 goals across competitions in his first season in England. He broke the Premier League record of goals in a 38-match season by netting 36 times in the competition. Haaland also scored 12 goals in the UEFA Champions League as City won the tournament for the first time in their history.
Kylian Mbappe, meanwhile, was sensational for Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman scored a stunning 41 goals and provided 10 assists in 43 matches across competitions and helped PSG win the Ligue 1 title.
Mbappe also played a starring role as France reached the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He netted eight goals for Les Bleus and ended up as the tournament's top scorer, bagging the prestigious Golden Boot.
Vinicius Junior, on the other hand, was once again an important player for Real Madrid. The Brazilian scored 23 goals and provided 21 assists in 55 matches across competitions. Vinicius is gradually becoming the world-beater that many anticipated him to be.
Here's what Barcelona's new-signing Ilkay Gundogan said about Erling Haaland
Ilkay Gundogan recently completed a move from Manchester City to Barcelona. The German midfielder joins the Blaugrana as a free agent. His arrival is a massive boost for the Catalan club after Sergio Busquets' departure.
Gundogan was teammates with Erling Haaland during his time with City. He had nothing but raving reviews about the talismanic striker. Speaking about his ex-teammate, Gundogan said (via Hindustan Times):
"Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when he came here. You see the goals and all the attention that he was getting at Dortmund, and you wonder if he’s going to fit with the group."
The new Barcelona star went on to compare Haaland with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He said:
"But when I got to know him, I was so surprised how someone could be that talented and still have the will to be even better every single day. He’s never satisfied. I feel like there are no limits for him. Messi and Ronaldo are the only comparison for the level he could reach."
Erling Haaland is only 22. He is already one of the best strikers in the world. The player looks ever-evolving. Hence, further achievements could be on the way for the towering striker.