Erling Haaland continues to prove himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in world football, piling up records at a staggering pace with Manchester City. The Norwegian star struck twice in City’s 2–2 draw with Monaco in the Champions League, moving past Kylian Mbappe in one of the competition’s biggest scoring milestones—though Lionel Messi’s record still stands.
With the brace, Haaland reached 52 career Champions League goals, surpassing Mbappe to become the second-highest scorer in the competition before turning 26. The record belongs to Messi, who scored 57 goals with Barcelona before his 26th birthday.
The former Borussia Dortmund forward now sits ahead of Mbappe, Raul Gonzalez, and Karim Benzema on the under-26 all-time list, leaving only Messi in front of him. Haaland is just seven goals shy of equaling the Argentine legend.
Given that Haaland doesn’t turn 26 until July 21, 2026, he has the rest of this season’s Champions League—culminating with the 2026 final in Budapest—to surpass Messi’s mark.
Erling Haaland scores for Manchester City against Monaco. (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Haaland dominates the Champions League
Before moving past Mbappe on the all-time under-26 scoring list, Erling Haaland had already shattered another Champions League record. In Manchester City’s opening win over Napoli, the Norwegian striker reached 50 career goals in just 49 matches—the fastest anyone has ever done it.
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Haaland obliterated the previous mark held by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who needed 62 games to reach the milestone. Lionel Messi rounds out the top three, hitting his 50th goal in 66 appearances.
Age-wise, Haaland also reached the benchmark faster than both Cristiano Ronaldo and Mbappe. He did it at 25 years and 59 days old, while Mbappe needed 25 years and 356 days, and Ronaldo didn’t hit the mark until 28 years and 78 days.
The prolific City striker looks poised for another monster campaign—already racking up 11 goals in just eight appearances across the Premier League and Champions League this season.
