After Manchester City’s 4-1 victory over Ipswich, Pep Guardiola lauded Erling Haaland, who scored a hat-trick, as comparable to Messi and Ronaldo. This statement ignited global debate, with many fans of Messi and Ronaldo mocking Haaland as “inferior” and “not as good as Messi and Ronaldo.” However, data institutions have pointed out that Guardiola’s statement is indeed supported by facts.
Guardiola’s original words were: “From Salzburg to the Bundesliga to the Premier League, Haaland’s goal numbers are incredible. It’s incredible power, and I think he can challenge Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s goalscoring records.”
At 24 years old, Haaland has participated in 315 matches and scored 260 goals – this statistic does not include his prolific scoring record in non-professional teams (such as various Norwegian youth national teams), making it a more rigorous statistic. Specifically, he scored 29 goals in 27 matches for Salzburg, 20 goals in 50 matches for Molde in Norway, 86 goals in 89 matches for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, 94 goals in 101 matches for Manchester City, and 31 goals in 33 matches for the Norwegian national team, demonstrating a goal-scoring efficiency that surpasses that of Messi and Ronaldo at the same age.
At the same age, Messi scored 197 goals in 326 matches, while Ronaldo scored 132 goals in 362 matches. In comparison, Haaland’s goal-scoring prowess is truly awe-inspiring.
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