Haaland, Neymar, Ronaldo: Ranking 5 players with most goals at age 21
There is no doubt that Ronaldo Nazario is one of the greatest players Brazil has ever produced. He achieved a lot in his career, even at a very young age. But how good was Ronaldo at the age of 21 and how does he compare with the emerging superstars of today?
Scoring goals at will is no mean feat and the players on this list had a knack for consistently finding the back of the net. These are the footballers who took the world by storm from very early on in their careers, just like Ronaldo did.
Surprisingly, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did not make this list, as they had 51 and 36 goals respectively to their names at the age of 21. The two greats are undoubtedly legends of the game but bloomed slightly late in their illustrious careers.
On that note, let's take a look at the five footballers who scored the most goals by the age of 21:
#5 Sergio Agüero: 84 goals
Sergio Aguero began his footballing journey with Atlético Independiente in Argentina. He later joined Atletico Madrid in 2006 and made the world sit up and take notice.
Aguero won the Europa League with Atletico in the 2009-10 season. He joined Manchester City in 2011 and went on to create Premier League history.
Aguero had 84 goals in 213 appearances when he was 21 years old. The majority of goals came for Atletico Madrid. In total, he has 101 goals for the Spanish outfit. Aguero is also regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers in the Premier League. The Argentinian scored 184 goals in 275 appearances for the Citizens and is fourth on the league's list of all-time leading goalscorers.
Aguero’s stoppage-time winner against Queens Park Rangers in 2011-12 is an iconic moment in the history of the modern game as it helped City win the Premier League after 44 years. It was arguably the most dramatic goal scored in modern-day football. The goal literally snatched the trophy out of Manchester United's hands deep in stoppage time since City won elusive title on goal difference.
The 33-year-old signed for Barcelona last summer, but was unfortunately diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia soon after. Aguero announced his retirement in December, calling time on an incredible career.
#4 Erling Haaland: 113 goals
Erling Haaland has already established himself as one of the most prolific forwards in the game. The Norweigian’s goal tally is quite staggering given that he is just 21 years old. Haaland’s potential is quite incredible, and he just may go on to become the world’s greatest in the coming years.
The youngster has 113 goals to his name in just 164 games. He scored more than half of those goals for Borussia Dortmund. In just 83 appearances across all competitions, the Norwegian has an astonishing 80 goals for BVB.
He has found the back of the net 16 times in 14 Bundesliga games this season, even after missing quite a few games due to injury.
20 - Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland has now scored 20 goals in 14 UEFA Champions League appearances; the quickest a player has ever reached 20 goals in the competition, and in 10 fewer appearances than the previous record holder (Harry Kane, 24). Astonishing. https://t.co/jaUCwVmIks
Although Haaland hasn’t been tested in a more competitive league, there is no doubt about the youngster’s ability.
Top clubs across Europe will be looking to get the 21-year-old’s signature in the upcoming summer transfer window.