Erling Haaland Wins BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year
Erling Haaland has been crowned the BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year for 2023 following his outstanding performance in helping Manchester City achieve the Treble.
Record-Breaking Season
The 23-year-old Norwegian striker scored an impressive 52 goals in all competitions during the 2022-23 season, contributing significantly to Manchester City’s victories in the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup.
Notably, Haaland set a new record for the most goals scored by a player in a single season for a Premier League club.
Premier League Golden Boot Winner
Haaland also claimed the Premier League’s Golden Boot for the 2022-23 campaign, scoring a remarkable 36 goals in just 38 games.
In his acceptance speech, Haaland expressed his gratitude to BBC Sport readers for voting him as the World Sport Star of the Year. He described the previous season as incredible, highlighting the team’s achievements in winning the Treble.
Runner-Up and Third Place
South Africa’s Siya Kolisi, the captain of the Rugby World Cup-winning team, secured second place in the voting, while three-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen finished third.
Other notable athletes who were shortlisted for the award included four-time Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Simone Biles, Spain’s World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati, and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Haaland’s Remarkable Debut Season
The 2022-23 season marked Erling Haaland’s first year with Manchester City after his transfer from Borussia Dortmund in June 2022.
In addition to winning the BBC World Sport Star of the Year award, Haaland received several individual accolades, including the Gerd Muller Trophy for the best goalscorer at the Ballon d’Or awards, where he also finished as the runner-up for the best player.
Furthermore, Haaland made history in November by becoming the fastest player to score 50 goals in the Premier League, achieving this milestone in just 48 games.
Current Season and Future Ambitions
So far in the current season, Haaland has already scored 19 goals as Manchester City aims for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Past Winner
The previous recipient of the World Sport Star award was Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina’s World Cup-winning team in 2022.