“I don’t like to compare myself” – Haaland reflects on ‘positive’ Messi-Ronaldo duel but admits he isn’t thinking about something similar with Mbappe
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has reflected on the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo amid claims that he could establish similar competition with Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe in the future. The Norwegian explained that while the Messi-Ronaldo duel was positive, he isn't looking forward to a similar rivalry with Mbappe.
Mbappe and Haaland are currently in a league of their own among football's fastest-rising young footballers. While the duo's terrific performances and goal-scoring abilities have led many into thinking they could give us the next superstar rivalry, the Norwegian isn't giving that any attention.
Forget the Ronaldo vs. Messi debate.
Haaland vs. Mbappe is here 😅 https://t.co/So3grziHvH
"It's impossible to say. I don't like to compare myself with others. I think you need to be your own player when it comes to that so I don't like to compare or anything with that," Haaland told Viaplay.
"I think the media has been doing that with Ronaldo and Messi for the last 10 years and I think they've been pushing each other as well. I think it's been a positive thing. Barcelona and Madrid against each other. It's been the perfect rivalry. But I don't think about this, honestly," he added.
Although Haaland has played down the potential existence of such a rivalry, more and more footballing figures continue to believe it will happen eventually, with former France defender Marcel Desailly being one of them.
While speaking to talkSPORT earlier this year, the former center-back explained why the two forwards will go on to give us the next superstar rivalry in the sport.
“What is great is that he’s a different player. He’s a different style to Ronaldo and Messi and he’s going into a different generation. You can’t compare him to these two crazy players when you look at the stats. The hat-tricks, the numbers at international and club level, it’s just crazy. He can match it. He has a different style. When you see the speed, the kilometres per hour that he flashes during the matches, it’s just amazing the agility that he shows and the character," Desailly said.
“With Haaland, they are probably the two top players of this new generation. We thought Neymar, he still has some good potential, but unfortunately for him I think it’ll be Mbappe’s time to shine,” he added.
How Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe compare with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo this season
Lionel Messi is currently enjoying the brightest phase of his career, having just led Argentina to claim the 2022 FIFA World Cup, registering seven goals and two assists to his name. He's also bagged 12 goals and 14 assists for PSG so far this season.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, had a nightmare outing in Qatar, scoring just once for Portugal in the tournament before crashing out in the quarterfinals. He's also endured a tough spell at club level, with just four goals across all competitions so far.
Like Messi, Kylian Mbappe had a World Cup to remember, with his return of eight goals and two assists. He's also bagged 19 goals and five assists for PSG, while Haaland has 23 goals and three assists to his name for Manchester City so far.