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Haaland claims he is 'far off' Ronaldo and Messi's level
The Guardian
|November 05, 2025
Erling Haaland believes he is not close to being on the same level as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo but the Manchester City striker says he is in "a good way" to beat his best total return of 56 goals in a season.
After the 3-1 win against Bournemouth on Sunday, Pep Guardiola again compared Haaland's numbers to Messi and Ronaldo, with City's manager adding how the Argentinian and Portuguese were consistent over "15 seasons". Haaland was asked if he views himself on the same level. "No, not at all, far off. No one can get close to them, so no," the 25-year-old said.
This season Haaland has scored 26 times in 16 appearances in all competitions, with 13 Premier League strikes, four in the Champions League, and nine for Norway. City could play a maximum of 52 more games this term, while Norway could have 12 more matches if they reach the World Cup final plus a yet to be decided number of friendlies.
This story is from the November 05, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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