Erling Haaland chose to skip the Ballon d’Or event in Paris on Monday to support a friend as he celebrated winning the Swedish league title with Malmö.
The Manchester City striker, who was nominated for the Ballon d’Or but not seen as a top contender, was spotted in the stands as Malmö defeated IFK Göteborg 2-1 to clinch the title with two games left in the season.
He shared a photo on Instagram wearing a Malmö jersey, which is the same light blue color as Manchester City’s shirt.
Haaland’s Norwegian friend Erik Botheim plays as a forward for Malmö.
Malmö, which is eight points ahead of Hammarby in the league standings, has now won the Swedish title a record 24 times.
Due to the long winter, the Swedish league begins in the spring and wraps up in the fall, unlike most other European leagues.