Erling Haaland as soon as once more made headlines within the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League by discovering the again of the online in Manchester Metropolis’s opening recreation towards Napoli on the Etihad Stadium. With 50 targets in simply 49 appearances, the query now could be: how lengthy will it take him to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time scoring document?
Haaland struck first in Metropolis’s 2-0 victory over Napoli. Within the 56th minute, Rodri slipped the ball to Phil Foden, who produced a intelligent contact earlier than floating a cross into the world. Haaland met it with a exact header, steering the ball simply over goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić to place Metropolis in entrance.
The strike marked a historic milestone for Haaland, who turned the quickest participant ever to succeed in 50 targets within the competitors, doing so in solely 49 video games. He shattered the tempo set by a number of the recreation’s greats: Lionel Messi (66 video games), Robert Lewandowski (77), Kylian Mbappé (79), and Ronaldo himself (91).
Haaland’s Champions League journey started with a breakout marketing campaign at RB Salzburg in 2019-20, the place he scored 8 targets in 6 matches. He continued at Borussia Dortmund, including 15 targets in 13 video games, earlier than taking his tally to new heights with Manchester Metropolis. With the Premier League champions, he has now scored 27 instances in 30 appearances, a complete that appears set to continue to grow quickly.
Erling Haaland of Manchester Metropolis scores his staff’s first purpose previous Vanja Milinkovic-Savic of Napoli through the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Part MD1 match between Manchester Metropolis and SSC Napoli.
When may Haaland surpass Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo stays the Champions League’s all-time main scorer with 140 targets in 183 video games, whereas Messi sits second with 129 in 163. However given Haaland’s extraordinary strike fee at simply 25 years outdated, many ponder whether he can catch, and even surpass, Ronaldo.
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Together with his purpose towards Napoli, Haaland is averaging simply over one purpose per recreation, 1.02, to be exact. The hole to Ronaldo stands at 90 targets. At his present fee, it could take 89 extra appearances for Haaland to attract degree with Ronaldo’s document.
To surpass him, Haaland would want 90 further matches, reaching 141 targets in 139 video games, an unprecedented achievement. With the Champions League’s expanded format guaranteeing groups at the least eight matches within the opening section, and the opportunity of taking part in as much as 17 video games in a single marketing campaign together with the knockout rounds, Haaland has ample alternatives forward.
After all, how shortly he will get there is dependent upon each his personal well being and his staff’s consistency in reaching the latter phases of the competitors. However if he maintains his health and type, Haaland may realistically problem Ronaldo’s document throughout the subsequent a number of seasons, not instantly, however properly inside his prime years.
