Erling Haaland etched his name into the history books on Matchday 1 of the 2025–26 Champions League, becoming the fastest player ever to reach 50 goals in the competition. At this pace, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes the Norwegian striker could one day surpass the remarkable records set by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Haaland needed just 49 matches to hit the 50-goal milestone, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s previous mark of 62 games. For Guardiola, that kind of efficiency shows Haaland has everything it takes to eventually climb past both Messi and Ronaldo.

“At this rate, yes, he can break the record,” Guardiola said when asked about Ronaldo’s all-time mark. “He’s not injured, he can play for another 10–12 years, and if he keeps this up, he absolutely can catch up

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