Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has reportedly maintained his absence from the Ballon d'Or award ceremonies since finishing second behind Argentine superstar Lionel Messi in 2023.

Despite receiving nominations for the prestigious individual football award in three consecutive years since that edition, the Norwegian international has continued to stay away from the ceremonies, attracting attention among football supporters.

Haaland enjoyed an outstanding 2022/23 campaign, playing a crucial role in Manchester City's historic treble-winning season. He scored an incredible number of goals across competitions and won several individual honours, including the European Golden Shoe and the Premier League Golden Boot. However, he ultimately finished second in the 2023 Ballon d'Or rankings, with Messi taking home the award following his contribution to Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph.

Since that announcement, Haaland's absence from subsequent Ballon d'Or ceremonies has become a talking point among football fans.

Interestingly, the striker has not publicly launched any major criticism of the organisers or made controversial statements about the voting process. Instead, his continued absence has attracted attention because of his silence on the matter.

Although his reasons for missing the ceremonies have not been publicly established, his decision has sparked discussions about his relationship with football's most prestigious individual award.

For now, Haaland appears content to let his performances on the pitch speak for themselves rather than making public appearances at the annual ceremony.

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