Jamie Carragher has backed Erling Haaland to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the greatest goalscorer in football history, suggesting the Manchester City striker is already showing signs of finishing his career as the all-time leader.
Numbers that don’t lie
Speaking on CBS Sports, Carragher argued that Haaland has made things look normal by scoring regularly. He noted that while Ronaldo and Messi have records that seem “off the scale,” Haaland’s regularity makes it feel less extraordinary.
“I just feel like he’s the greatest goalscorer I think I’ve ever seen,” Carragher said. “I know Ronaldo and Messi’s numbers are off the scale. I don’t know where they were at this age. I just can’t see Haaland not scoring 1000 goals or being the best goalscorer of all time.”
The comparison highlights a stark difference in accumulation. Lionel Messi had 348 goals at age 26, while Cristiano Ronaldo was at 213. Haaland currently sits at 366 at the same age, putting him ahead of Ronaldo at this specific stage of their careers.
Carragher emphasized the rarity of Haaland’s output, stating that he has never seen anyone match the prolific nature of the Norwegian. He noted that because Haaland performs so frequently, even performances like scoring twice away from home in the Champions League do not seem exceptional, whereas for other strikers, such a feat would be celebrated as an amazing night.
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The Guardiola perspective
Pep Guardiola has also endorsed the idea of Haaland chasing the all-time record. He suggested that if the Norwegian maintains his current rhythm and health, he could play for another decade or more.
“In that rhythm, yeah [he can break the record],” Guardiola said. “He’s not injured, he could play for 10 or 12 more years, and he maintains this progression, absolutely. What can I say? The numbers speak for themselves.”
Guardiola pointed out that Haaland has joined an elite group of strikers. In 198 matches under Guardiola at Manchester City, Haaland scored 162 goals. Messi managed 211 goals in 219 games for Barcelona during their time together, illustrating the high bar set by the Argentine.
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently chasing his dream of scoring 1000 career goals, and has scored 979 goals so far. The Portugal captain has hinted that he could retire from professional football at the end of the season following his wedding to Georgina Rodriguez.
