Erling Haaland beats Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe to set record after goal in 5-1 loss to Arsenal
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland beat the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe to a new record during his side's 5-1 loss to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, February 2. The Norwegian star became the fastest player to score 250 club career goals.
Haaland scored his side's only goal in the disappointing outing at the Emirates. The 24-year-old connected to a Savinho cross in the 55th minute and headed past David Raya to make the score 1-1. However, his equalizer failed to spur the Cityzens on as they took their foot off the pedal, conceding four more goals to Mikel Arteta's side.
Nevertheless, Haaland still etched his name in the history books on the day. The goal against the Gunners was the 250th of his club career so far. The Manchester City forward netted 20 times for Molde FK, 29 times for RB Salzburg, 86 times for Borussia Dortmund, and has scored 115 goals so far for Pep Guardiola's side.
It took him 313 matches to reach this milestone, putting him ahead of the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, and Mbappe. Cristiano Ronaldo played 451 games before scoring 250 goals. Kylian Mbappe hit the 250-goal mark in 332 appearances, while Messi -who previously held the record, reached 250 club goals in 327 games.
Erling Haaland continues to prove himself as one of football's most lethal strikers. This season, he has scored 25 times and provided two more in 33 games across competitions.
What former Manchester City star said about Erling Haaland smashing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo goal records
Former Manchester City star Sergio Aguero once weighed in on Erling Haaland's goalscoring prowess in respect to that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. During an interview with GOAL in September 2024, Aguero was asked if the Norweigan could outscore the two football greats. The former Manchester City striker said (via GOAL):
"I've always said that Erling reaping many goals is a great thing, because it likely means City is clinching new titles to go with that."
"He's got a great scoring average, and he's maintained it season after season. Hopefully Erling can stay on this path. Perhaps, he'll break those records (Messi and Ronaldo's). He'll need to stay course on his performance... we'll only know how much he's able to achieve by the end of his career," Aguero added.
Messi is the all-time top scorer in the top five European leagues with 496 goals in 578 games, while Ronaldo is second on the list with 495 goals in 626 matches. Erling Haaland, meanwhile, has recorded 144 goals in 157 league games played for clubs in the top five European leagues.