Erling Haaland etched his name into the history books on Matchday 1 of the 2025–26 Champions League, becoming the fastest player ever to reach 50 goals in the competition. At this pace, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes the Norwegian striker could one day surpass the remarkable records set by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Haaland needed just 49 matches to hit the 50-goal milestone, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s previous mark of 62 games. For Guardiola, that kind of efficiency shows Haaland has everything it takes to eventually climb past both Messi and Ronaldo.
“At this rate, yes, he can break the record,” Guardiola said when asked about Ronaldo’s all-time mark. “He’s not injured, he can play for another 10–12 years, and if he keeps this up, he absolutely can catch up. What can I say? The numbers speak for themselves. We’re lucky to have him on the team”.
Cristiano Ronaldo currently tops the Champions League scoring list with 140 goals across his time with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Messi is second with 129, all scored during his Barcelona career. With both legends no longer competing in Europe, the door appears open — and Guardiola is convinced Haaland is on track to walk through it.
Erling Haaland scores his 50th Champions League goal against Napoli. (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Guardiola on Haaland’s 50 Champions League goals
Haaland’s latest milestone carries even more weight given how quickly he achieved it. The 25-year-old became the fastest player to hit 50 Champions League goals, reaching the mark in fewer games than any other player in history.
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Haaland reaches 50 Champions League goals in 49 games: How long did it take Messi and Ronaldo?
“Just to congratulate him, because to reach 50 goals so quickly and to be mentioned alongside Van Nistelrooy, Lewandowski, but above all alongside the two ‘monsters’ Cristiano and Messi, is incredible,” Guardiola said.
Champions League all-time top scorers
With his opening goal in City’s 2–0 win over Napoli, Haaland tied Thierry Henry for ninth place on the Champions League’s all-time scoring list at 50 goals. However, Haaland will have competition from Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe, who also remain among the top 10 scorers still active in Europe.
Thomas Muller is also on the list, but with his move to MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps, a return to European competition seems unlikely — just like Karim Benzema, who doesn’t appear to be leaving Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
- 1- Cristiano Ronaldo — 140 goals
- 2- Lionel Messi — 129 goals
- 3- Robert Lewandowski — 105 goals
- 4- Karim Benzema — 90 goals
- 5- Raul Gonzalez — 71 goals
- 6- Kylian Mbappe — 57 goals
- 7- Thomas Muller — 57 goals
- 8- Ruud van Nistelrooy — 56 goals
- 9- Erling Haaland — 50 goals
- 10- Thierry Henry — 50 goals
