While Kylian Mbappé has been a force to be reckoned with early in the season, another striker is making an even more explosive statement. Erling Haaland, the Manchester City sensation, is currently outshining his Real Madrid counterpart, who has netted 18 goals in 14 appearances across all competitions. Haaland’s 2025-2026 campaign is proving to be nothing short of stunning.
Haaland’s opening goal in Manchester City’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Villarreal on Tuesday marked his 24th goal of the season in just 14 matches. This phenomenal scoring rate has propelled Pep Guardiola’s star attacker into elite company, matching a remarkable record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo.
A Streak for the Ages: 12 Straight Games with a Goal
Untill Tuesday evening, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano ronaldo, stood alone as the player with the most consecutive matches (across all competitions) scoring at least one goal – a streak of 12 games. Haaland has now drawn level with this legendary feat. His amazing run began after a rare goalless outing against Tottenham on August 23rd in the Premier League, a match Manchester City lost 2-0.
During this astonishing streak, Haaland has delivered breathtaking performances, including a brace against Manchester United in a 3-0 win, a crucial goal against Arsenal in a 1-1 draw, and a brace in the 2-2 draw with Monaco. His international form for Norway has been equally devastating, with a five-goal haul against Moldova in a 11-1 World Cup qualifier and a hat-trick against Israel in a 5-0 victory, both en route to the 2026 World Cup.To definitively surpass Ronaldo’s record, Haaland will need to find the back of the net when Manchester City travels to face Aston Villa this Sunday.
Champions league Dominance: A Goal-Scoring Machine
haaland’s impact in the Champions League is equally staggering. The Norwegian cyborg, now just one goal behind Mbappé in the competition’s scoring charts with 5 goals to Mbappé’s 4, continues to demonstrate his prolific nature. He boasts an incredible record in Europe’s premier club competition, having scored more goals than matches played: 53 goals in 51 appearances.
At the young age of 25, Haaland has already cemented his place in the Champions League’s top 10 all-time leading scorers. Currently in ninth place, he has surpassed the legendary Thierry Henry’s tally of 50 goals and is now setting his sights on Ruud Van nistelrooy’s 56 goals. Among active players in European football, only Kylian Mbappé (sixth with 60 goals) and robert Lewandowski (third with 105 goals) stand ahead of the prolific norwegian.
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