Erling Haaland names three best players in world, picks Messi but leaves out Ronaldo

Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland has included Lionel Messi as one of the three best players in the world over the course of last year but has surprisingly excluded Cristiano Ronaldo.

His comments come shortly after he was named in the team of the year at the recent FIFA Best Awards, where Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski was named the world's best player.

Erling Haaland names top 3 footballers in the world

On being asked who he would have selected as the top three of the FIFA Best Awards, Erling Haaland told Sky Sports, "That's a good question but I think you would have to say Lewandowski number one, then you have, for me, Benzema has also been amazing, but Messi has also been outstanding - so Benzema and Messi in shared second and third place." The Norwegian striker's list comes as a surprise as he does not include Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo, who has widely been regarded as one of the best players for the longest of times.

While the Red Devils have struggled to get positive results this season, the Portuguese international has still delivered a decent attacking return. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored eight goals and three assists in 18 matches for the side in the Premier League. Meanwhile, his return is even better in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), having scored six goals in just five matches.

Although few will disagree with the inclusion of Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema in the top three considering the remarkable seasons they have had so far, Lionel Messi's inclusion ahead of Ronaldo may come as a surprise. While the Argentine international won a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or ahead of Lewandowski in November last year, several critics believed that he perhaps did not deserve the trophy in 2021 after a mixed year.

While the 34-year old did win the Copa America trophy with Argentina, he has struggled in France ever since he made the blockbuster move from FC Barcelona to PSG in the summer transfer window. Messi has scored just one goal and five assists in 12 Ligue 1 matches. However, his return is better in the UCL though, having scored five goals in the same number of matches.