Haaland Reaches Messi and Ronaldo Level, Guardiola Declares

Haaland Reaches Messi and Ronaldo Level, Guardiola Claims

Spain’s Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s manager, has stated that Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has reached the same level Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo displayed during their golden eras, lauding his immense impact and extraordinary goal-scoring numbers since joining the club.

Guardiola spoke after City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth at the Etihad, with Haaland netting a brace that helped push the team into second place in the Premier League. “We played very well, and Haaland was decisive. It’s like playing with Messi or Ronaldo, you know? His influence is massive,” he said.

“Is he at that level? Just look at his numbers. My God—yes, he is at the level of Messi and Ronaldo. The only difference is that Messi and Ronaldo did it for about 15 years. Look at Messi now in America, still scoring two or three goals a game, and Ronaldo doing the same in Saudi Arabia. Haaland is at this level, and without him things would be very difficult.”

Haaland currently tops the Premier League Golden Boot race with 11 goals this season, five clear of his nearest contender who has six. He is now within two goals of reaching 100 league goals for Manchester City.

Despite City’s strong start that leaves them six points behind league leaders Arsenal, none of Haaland’s teammates has more than one league goal so far, underscoring how City rely on his scoring firepower.

Guardiola added that Haaland’s relentless drive and constant eagerness to improve are the keys to his success: “His shooting is incredible—low and precise, as if he’s saying: I’ll score now. I’ve said it before; he’s trainable to an extraordinary degree, and I can be strict with him at times.”

“I try to keep an open mind with him at all times. Some players ask me, ‘What are you talking about?’ but Haaland is different—humble, eager to learn, and he lives to score.”

City now prepare for a fiery showdown with Liverpool next week at the Etihad, a clash that could help decide the title race alongside Arsenal.

On the race for the crown, Guardiola added: “I hope Arsenal concede a goal someday. Since the World Cup, I feel we’re in good form. But we’re only ten games in; there are 28 to go, and a lot will happen. I feel the team is improving more and more.”

With 98 goals in 107 Premier League appearances, Haaland is closing in on becoming the fastest player to reach 100 league goals for City, surpassing Alan Shearer’s record of 124 games for the landmark.

Guardiola also criticized referee Anthony Taylor, hinting that he’s become accustomed to decisions not going in City’s favor since he took charge in England: “We conceded a goal that’s unbelievable from a refereeing point of view. I’ve been here a decade, and I know them well. I’m happy with what we’ve achieved at City despite everything. Ten years have passed, so I know them well… I don’t call referees; I don’t have time for that. My schedule is packed with games, and I won’t waste time talking.”

He concluded: “After the match, I told him: when we meet again, just tell me whether there was a foul or not. Just take a look, no problem. They’re brave here, at the Etihad, very brave.”

Notable numbers

According to Opta, City have won every home meeting with Bournemouth (9 of 9). Only Manchester United share a similar home-perfect record against a single opponent (16 of 16 vs. Luton Town).

In the nine clashes between City and Bournemouth at the Etihad, the Sky Blues have scored 34 goals while conceding only four.

City have beaten Bournemouth in 16 of 17 Premier League encounters overall.

At 25 years and 158 days, Phil Foden became City’s youngest player to reach 200 Premier League appearances, surpassing Raheem Sterling’s previous record of 26 years and 284 days.

The French forward Rayan Cherki also emerged as a notable figure, becoming the only player in Europe’s five major leagues to provide two decisive passes in five different competitions in 2025, including a key assist to Haaland in yesterday’s match.

Haaland has scored 13 league goals this season, more than half of the Premier League clubs’ total this term.

With this level of production, Haaland’s trajectory has fans wondering not just about records, but about which team will finally stop him—also highlighting City’s strong support system around him and a manager who believes his star can keep climbing higher.

Jokes aside, if Haaland keeps this pace, the ball might start asking for a holiday—preferably paid leave from the back of the net. And if Guardiola’s right, we might need a bigger trophy cabinet to hold all the throne-claiming crowns Haaland will win. Punchline two: if the net ever files for unemployment, Haaland will be first in line to hire it back—for a scalable fee, of course.