Haaland vs Messi and Ronaldo: Man City star reacts to comparisons

Manchester forward Erling Haaland recently rejected the comparisons with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Romaldo, conceding that the duo had an untouchable legacy.

Haaland’s goal-scoring numbers are extraordinary and form the backbone of why the comparisons to Messi and Ronaldo keep cropping up.

By April 2023, he had scored 200 senior goals in just 243 games, giving a goals-per-game (GPG) ratio of about 0.82, significantly ahead of Messi’s 0.78 and Ronaldo’s 0.72 at the time.

He reached the 300-goal milestone in June 2025, in 370 senior appearances, faster than both Messi and Ronaldo needed for the same tally, all of which suggests he would most likely retire with more than goals than the duo.

Last season, an impressed Pep Guardiola described his numbers as “ridiculous” and suggested Haaland “can compete in terms of goals with Cristiano and Messi.” His incredible form has continued into this season, with 17 goals in 13 matches for the Cityzens this season.

Nevertheless, Haaland himself has repeatedly down-played the direct comparisons, citing their enduring legacy forged by incredible longevity.

“No, not at all! No one can get close to them two, so no," he responded to the comparison, per Fabrizio. “I am just Erling, a Norwegian guy scoring goals. That won’t change."