Is Erling Haaland destined for the Ballon d’Or?

The Ballon d’Or has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo since 2008, with Luka Modric coming in and snatching the accolade to break up the status quo in 2018. The reign of the Argentine and Portuguese legends is coming to an end, though, and it presents an opportunity for other players to snatch the coveted award.

Erling Haaland is one of the hottest prospects in world football right now, seemingly destined for big things. Bettors may be tempted to stake on him earning top honors in the years ahead.

Haaland is already shuffling betting markets

Since Haaland stormed onto the soccer scene in 2019 at Red Bull Salzburg, he has gained the widespread attention of people who like to bet on the sport. Soon after joining the Austrian Bundesliga side, he made headlines by scoring 11 goals in his first seven league appearances.

He captured the attention of the world when he scored seven goals in his first four Champions League appearances, setting a record for most goals from a player in their opening games in Europe.

The initial flurry of betting around the player was concerned with which major club would snaffle him up first. It was clear that he was far too good to be plying his trade in the Austrian top flight, and Europe’s elite clubs were sniffing around the player like bloodhounds at the door of a wanted criminal. In the end, Borussia Dortmund managed to snatch his signature in January 2020, tying him down to a four-and-a-half-year contract.

Despite this long deal with the German club, there is still speculation that the red hot striker will move again. In the football odds from Betfair, there are options to stake on him joining Real Madrid at +275 and Barcelona at +750. The Norwegian would no doubt fetch a hefty price tag that only these mega clubs would be able to afford.

Is it Too Soon to Think About the Ballon d’Or?

The youngest player to ever win the Ballon d’Or was the Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario when he claimed top honors in 1997. He was 21 years old at the time. Haaland is currently 19, so he has the chance to break that record in the next couple of years. The question is, would it be worth staking money on the prolific forward to be voted the best in the world?

There are a number of players who may be ahead of the Dortmund striker in the race to claim the next accolade. Virgil Van Dijk came agonizingly close in 2019 but ultimately lost out to Messi. Kevin De Bruyne, Kylian Mbappe, and Sadio Mane are all worthy of contention as well. Haaland probably hasn’t done enough to be considered right now, but betting on him to win in 2021 could be a good shout.

Haaland is taking the world by storm.

Leeds-born sharpshooter has gone from zero to hero in a short space of time, and he is now one of the hottest prospects in world soccer. It is highly feasible to imagine him picking up the Ballon d’Or a few years down the line.