Haaland Says He's 'far Off' Messi & Ronaldo

Erling Haaland has played down comparisons betwixt himself and modern footballing greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, saying "no-one" will get adjacent to their goalscoring records.

The 25-year-old has scored 26 times successful each competitions for Manchester City and Norway by nan opening of November, taking his profession tally to 327.

But Haaland trails a agelong measurement down nan feats of nan feted duo.

Argentina fable Messi, 38, has scored a full of 892 goals, while 40-year-old Portugal icon Ronaldo is connected 952 arsenic he targets 1,000 successful his illustrious career.

Asked if he saw himself connected nan level of nan distinguished duo, Haaland replied: "No, not astatine all. I americium acold off. Nobody tin get adjacent to them two, truthful no."

The City guardant scored 56 goals successful nan 2022-23 season, his first astatine nan nine aft joining from Borussia Dortmund, which was his astir prolific run to date.

But arsenic Haaland prepares to look his erstwhile broadside successful their Champions League necktie connected Wednesday (20:00 GMT), he is connected people to surpass that mammoth magnitude if he maintains his existent scoring rate.

With 98 truthful acold successful 107 Premier League games, he is closing successful connected becoming nan fastest to scope a period of English top-flight goals.

Former England skipper Alan Shearer group that people astatine 124 games and leads nan all-time convention charts pinch 260.

Shearer, who starred for Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle successful his career, said past period Haaland has a "brilliant chance" of breaking nan record, external.

But erstwhile asked if he will surpass his ain tally this term, Haaland replied: "Which record? Not to sound arrogant!

"I had 57 successful total, including pinch nan nationalist squad [in nan 2022-23 season]. I americium successful a bully measurement but I don't deliberation of this.

"I don't really cognize immoderate records but I cognize his (Shearer's Premier League one). Again, it is not thing I tin deliberation about.

"Thinking astir records I tin break is nan past point connected my mind, I effort to thief nan squad triumph shot games. That is my occupation and that is my main focus.

"I cognize it's boring, I cognize you want maine to opportunity nan complete other but that's not really it is. I person to disregard them."

Haaland has besides scored 53 goals successful only 51 Champions League matches - nan fastest subordinate to scope nan half-century milestone.

He won Europe's elite nine title successful his first play pinch City, helping nan broadside to complete nan Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and nan Champions League.

"I americium nan wholly aforesaid personification from arsenic agelong arsenic I tin remember," he added. "Nothing has changed. I americium still nan aforesaid kid successful immoderate situations and I americium still that kid from Bryne but pinch much acquisition successful life.

"I americium a Norwegian feline and I shouldn't deliberation I americium thing because I americium scoring goals. I americium conscionable Erling and this is thing that will ne'er change."

Haaland is besides connected nan cusp of helping Norway scope their first World Cup since 1998, which he said was "two years earlier I was born".

"I person been saying this for a agelong clip - my extremity is to return Norway to a World Cup and Euros," he added.

"This is nan main extremity successful my profession and now I person a bully chance to do it, truthful it's astir taking nan chances."

And location was an ominous informing for guidance defenders arsenic Haaland said he was "definitely" getting amended arsenic a striker.

"I americium processing good," he added. "I americium successful a bully place, I'm taking bully attraction of myself and I americium processing good."