Erling Haaland once again etched his name into the record books as he guided Manchester City to victory over Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday night.
City had struggled to break down a stubborn Napoli side reduced to 10 men, but the Norwegian forward broke the deadlock with a close-range header from Phil Foden’s precise delivery.
That goal marked his 50th strike in the competition, achieved in just 49 matches — the quickest any player has ever reached that landmark. The previous best belonged to former Manchester United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, who required 62 appearances.
Haaland celebrated by smiling at the cameras and showing five fingers on one hand and a zero on the other, clearly aware of his achievement. “He seems to break every record going. It’s unheard of what he’s doing. What an unbelievable player,” said Foden.
Manager Pep Guardiola praised his star striker, adding: “The numbers speak for themselves. We are lucky to have him. To be alongside names like [Ruud] van Nistelrooy, [Robert] Lewandowski, and especially Cristiano [Ronaldo] and [Lionel] Messi is unbelievable.”
Scoring spree across clubs and competitions
Haaland’s output has shown no signs of slowing. He recently reached 90 goals in 101 Premier League appearances following City’s win over Manchester United, only days after scoring five times in Norway’s 11-1 triumph over Moldova.
In Europe’s elite tournament, he has netted 27 goals for Manchester City, 15 for Borussia Dortmund, and eight for RB Salzburg. Most of those strikes – 34 – have come with his left foot, 11 with his right, and five with his head, including the crucial goal against Napoli.
Former City goalkeeper Joe Hart, speaking on TNT, remarked: “He looked dangerous. It is such a clever ball, to not break stride – it is the instinct of a pure goalscorer. He looks fit, strong and hungry… You can have a near perfect game as a defender but as soon as you slip [he scores].”
Chasing Ronaldo’s long-standing record
The speed of Haaland’s rise becomes even clearer in comparison with other greats. Lionel Messi needed 66 games to hit 50 Champions League goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo required 91.
Ronaldo remains the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 141 goals, but Guardiola believes Haaland could challenge that total: “In that rhythm, yeah. He’s not injured, he could play for 10 or 12 more years, and if he maintains this progression, absolutely.”
Former City defender Joleon Lescott echoed that sentiment, saying: “He may not be the one who is having a great game, but if he is given a chance in front of goal he has a level of composure to execute.”
