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Erling Haaland on Cusp of Ronaldo's 100-goal Mark for Club
Erling Haaland, the prolific Norwegian striker of Manchester City, is one goal away from breaking the record for the fastest player to score a century of goals for a club, that Cristiano Ronaldo holds. Whether he equals that mark or goes past it with two games to go remains a thing to watch.
Also read: Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is set to miss second consecutive Premier League game
Erling Haaland's Football Career: A Journey of Dominance
Erling Haaland began his professional career at Bryne FK in Norway before moving to Molde FK. He gained attention at Red Bull Salzburg, where he impressed in both domestic and UEFA Champions League competitions. Haaland's rise continued at Borussia Dortmund, where his prolific goal-scoring earned him international acclaim. In 2022, he transferred to Manchester City, further establishing himself as one of the best strikers in the world, helping City win major titles including the Premier League and Champions League.
Fine Start to the 2024-25 Season
Norwegian Haaland has spectacularly kicked off the 2024-25 season. In just four matches, he has already scored nine goals including two hat-trick matches. Brilliant performances came against West Ham United and Ipswich Town as he took home the match ball after scoring three goals each. Haaland had to settle for just two goals during Manchester City's 2-1 win over Brentford.
Had he converted that third one in that game, then he would have already broken Ronaldo's mark to be the fastest to 100 goals for any club.
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Ronaldo's Record in Sight
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest ever to step on a football pitch. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner set this record while playing for Real Madrid, where he scored 100 in 105 matches after signing for the Spanish giants in 2009. He currently sits at 99 goals in 103 games for Manchester City and would need one more game to surpass Ronaldo and two to level the record.
The next opportunity for Haaland to break it will be in Manchester City's UEFA Champions League game against Inter Milan on Wednesday, 18 September. If he fails to break it then, another high-profile Premier League game against Arsenal will be his chance on Sunday, 22 September.
Haaland receives lavish praises from Guardiola
Manchester City's manager, Pep Guardiola is a loud supporter of the goal tallying prowess of Haaland. Immediately after scoring his first hat-trick this season, Pep declared that he is on the same level as football legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as he postulated that Haaland could well achieve their legendary goal tallies.
After City's win over Ipswich Town, Guardiola told the media: "Erling's numbers are incredible. He can be in the same conversation as Cristiano and Messi when it comes to scoring goals."
Rested and Ready
One of the reasons why Haaland has been so explosively good this season is because of the amount of rest he had during the summer. While many other players came away from international tournaments like the Euros or Copa America with time in their legs, Haaland got a full offseason to recharge.
It has certainly served him well to date as he comes back in top shape and ready to make some history.
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A Striker for the Ages
At just 24 years of age, Erling Haaland is breaking records hitherto held by football legends. His never-say-die quality of scoring with physical attributes and tactical awareness makes him a talent uniquely appreciated by modern football. Comparably, the comparisons with Ronaldo and Messi are lofty; however, Haaland has shown he can rise to the pressure.
As he inches closer to breaking Ronaldo's milestone, one couldn't but wonder what other records Haaland is gonna shatter in years to come. This season would be starting to be the beginning of his reign among all-time greats.
With inputs from agencies
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