Man City Boss Believes His Prolific Striker is on the Path to Topping Even Messi and Ronaldo’s Legendary Goalscoring Feats
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola made a staggering declaration after watching Erling Haaland break the Champions League scoring record on Thursday, boldly suggesting his striker could one day be crowned the best player in Europe.
The praise came after Haaland’s 50th goal in the competition, a clever header in a 2-0 victory over Napoli, which he reached in a record 49 games—shattering the previous mark held by Ruud van Nistelrooy.
“The number speaks for itself,” Guardiola said, placing his young star in the most elite company imaginable. While he acknowledged Haaland is alongside greats like Van Nistelrooy and Robert Lewandowski, he reserved his highest comparison for the sport’s twin peaks. “Especially with the two monsters, Cristiano [Ronaldo] and [Lionel] Messi over 15, 20 years. Erling is there. In terms of goals, it’s unbelievable.”
When pressed on whether Haaland, at just 25 years old, could eventually surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time record of 140 Champions League goals, Guardiola’s answer was immediate and unequivocal.
“If he keeps that rhythm? Yeah,” the Spaniard stated without hesitation. “He can play I don’t know how many years—10, 12 years, I would say—if he maintains this progression, absolutely.”
The manager’s effusive praise wasn’t limited to his record-breaking striker. He was equally thrilled by the resurgent form of Phil Foden, who provided the assist for Haaland’s historic goal and was named man of the match.
“You cannot imagine how we missed Phil,” Guardiola admitted, calling the last two games a return to the form that made Foden the Premier League’s best player in their latest title-winning season. “It’s the sense of danger close to the box… We are so happy, because I know if he’s happy and his life is fine, his natural, incredible talent comes along.”
The victory was sealed by a moment of magic from Jeremy Doku, who danced past two defenders before scoring from a tight angle. Napoli’s hopes were dashed early when captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was shown a straight red card for a foul on Haaland, a decision that also spoiled the emotional Etihad return of former City captain Kevin De Bruyne, who was substituted shortly after as Napoli adjusted to being a man down.
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