Haaland makes a surprising statement about Ronaldo and Messi

Erling Haaland remains modest when his striking performance is compared to the legendary Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Following a convincing victory over Bournemouth, Erling Haaland and his Manchester City teammates are set to face Dortmund in the fourth group stage match. UEFA Champions League.

In the pre-match press conference, Haaland shared his thoughts about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the duo whom coach Pep Guardiola believes Haaland "has reached the same level as" due to his recent outstanding goal-scoring form. However, the Norwegian striker humbly dismissed the idea that he has reached the level of these living football legends.

Specifically, Haaland stated: "No, absolutely not! No one can come close to those two, so the answer is no. I am just Erling, a Norwegian guy who scores goals. And that will not change."

Haaland currently holds the record for the most goals in a Premier League season with 36 goals in 2022/23. At this moment, the 2000-born star is averaging 1.3 goals per game, and if he maintains this form, Haaland could finish the season with 49 goals, an extraordinary figure.

Since Jimmy Greaves scored 41 goals for Chelsea in the 1960/61 season, no player has surpassed 40 goals in this league. The all-time English football record remains with Everton legend Dixie Dean, who scored 60 goals in the 1927/28 season, a milestone that has stood for nearly a century.

Across all competitions, Haaland's scoring rate is also 1.3 goals per match. With at least 35 matches remaining in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup—and potentially more if Man City advance far—Haaland could surpass 60 goals this season. Achieving this would mark the most brilliant season of his career, comparable to the peak years of Messi and Ronaldo at Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Messi had 10 consecutive seasons scoring over 40 goals from 2009 to 2019, but only twice exceeded 60 goals. Similarly, Ronaldo regularly scored over 40 goals each season but reached 60 goals only twice, indicating that Haaland is heading toward a legendary season if he keeps up his current form.

If he continues to score consistently in the coming weeks, Haaland certainly cannot be dismissed as merely “taking advantage” against weaker opponents.

Looking ahead, Haaland will focus on facing his former club Dortmund, followed by matches against Liverpool and Newcastle in the Premier League. Then, a lighter schedule awaits with games against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League and Leeds United domestically before November ends.

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