Erling Haaland skips Ballon d’Or ceremony to watch Europa League minnows as team-mate Rodri wins famous trophy

ERLING HAALAND skipped the Ballon d’Or ceremony to watch Swedish club Malmo.

Haaland‘s Manchester City team-mate Rodri claimed the Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday night.

Erling Haaland was pictured at a Malmo game in Sweden with the club shirt on

Haaland went to watch friend Erik Botheim who plays as a striker for MalmoAP

Haaland’s team-mate Rodri won the Ballon d’Or on Monday nightEPA

He became just the third men’s player outside of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award since 2007.

But Haaland, 24, was not in the French capital to watch his pal collect the honour.

Instead, the Norwegian striker, who finished fifth, was in Sweden watching Malmo take on Goteborg.

Haaland was pictured in a Malmo shirt as he supported friend and rap partner Erik Botheim – who started up front for the home side.

And the Man City striker will have left happy after Malmo came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory.

Meanwhile, Spanish superstar Rodri was collecting the Ballon d’Or and gave a heartfelt speech on stage.

He said: “I’d like to tell you an anecdote, the story that led me here.

“When I was a 17-year-old I packed up my suitcases and I went to Villarreal with a dream to work in the Premier League.

“One day I called my father crying telling him it was all over and that I had invested my life to get here and I had the feeling that this was it.

“My father said we had come all the way here, let’s keep going and this is something that changed my mindset and now, here I am.

“I am a normal boy who never gets carried away with stereotypes. Hard work is what matters.”

But Man City still sit top of the Premier League table, one point clear of Liverpool and five ahead of Arsenal.

Haaland already has 14 goals in 13 games this season – and 104 in 111 appearances since joining Man City from Borussia Dortmund two years ago.