Erling Haaland Ballon d'Or history: Total nominations, wins and vote record

Europe has been feeling the wrath of a Nordic storm.

Murmurs of this phenomenon first emerged out of Poland in 2019 when Honduras Under-20s felt the full force of his supreme goalscoring power. Nine goals in one game! Surely it couldn't be true!?

Before that Central American slaughter, the conqueror decided he'd achieved all he could in his homeland and has since laid a path of destruction behind him in foreign lands. First, it was the Austrian Bundesliga, then the Bundesliga itself before he took on his most fearsome challenge in the Premier League. But the defences of the cash-laden English top-flight have proved no match for the ruthlessly efficient Erling Haaland.

Division-by-division, the Norwegian machine is conquering the continent in a manner unlike anyone before him. His efficient eye for goal, demonic speed and utterly ludicrous athleticism have seen him draw comparisons to otherworldly beings and he's regarded alongside Kylian Mbappe as the next generation-defining talents football has to offer.

Many project the current Manchester City striker to frequently duel the French superstar for the most illustrious individual accolade in the sport, with Haaland undoubtedly capable of ending his career as a winner of a Ballon d'Or or two.

How many times has Erling Haaland been nominated for the Ballon d'Or?

Haaland's rise to the top has been pretty swift considering he was first discussed as a talent to watch out for following his move to RB Salzburg in 2019, just a few months before the Under-20 World Cup.

A nine-goal showing against Honduras caught the footballing world's attention and he's failed to waver despite the increased scrutiny since.

The Norwegian's first Ballon d'Or nomination came in 2021 after scoring at a goal-per-game rate with Borussia Dortmund. He was subsequently shortlisted in 2022, with his third and fourth nominations arriving in 2023 and 2024.

How many times has Erling Haaland won the Ballon d'Or?

Haaland's first genuine bid for the Ballon dOr came in 2023 off the back of a record-breaking season with Manchester City. His debut campaign finished with the treble and it was the colossal centre-forward who bagged 52 goals in as many competitive fixtures in all competitions.

Therefore, many were under the impression that the Cityzens striker was a shoo-in for the award and he would have been a guaranteed victor if not for Lionel Messi guiding Argentina to the 2022 winter World Cup in Qatar. The Argentine secured his record eighth Ballon d'Or triumph despite Haaland's sharpshooting.

Nevertheless, Haaland has continued to score at a frankly frightening rate in England and on the continent, and will surely claim the prize in the near future - especially if Norway can pull up their socks on the international stage.

Erling Haaland Ballon d'Or voting record

Haaland enjoyed his best performance in 2023 as he finished second behind Messi. He ended up 105 points behind the relentless Ballon d'Or winner.

Karim Benzema was the runaway winner as he finished first by the second-biggest margin in Ballon d'Or history in 2022. The Frenchman finished with 549 votes, while Haaland garnered 18. Along with Benzema, fellow strikers Robert Lewandowski (fourth) and Mbappe (sixth) finished ahead of Haaland.

Despite missing a considerable chunk of the season with various injuries, Haaland ended the 2021/22 campaign with 22 goals in 24 Bundesliga games. He also scored three in three in the Champions League, but Dortmund disappointed in the group stage and dropped into the Europa League.

The striker actually earned more votes while finishing 11th the previous year. 2021 was the final award which accounted for the calendar year as opposed to the season and Haaland ended the 2020/21 campaign in fine fettle, scoring four times in the Champions League knockout stages before finishing the Bundesliga season with 27 goals in 28 games. He also lifted the DFB-Pokal with BVB in 2021.

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