Despite Lagging Behind Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland Equals Lionel Messi’s Rare Champions League Feat After Ending Goal Drought

Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are the two names that are currently ruling the soccer world. Both of these generational talents continue to take center stage with their remarkable performances. Interestingly, the spotlight has shifted towards Haaland, who, despite lagging behind Mbappe, has equaled a rare Champions League feat by none other than Lionel Messi.

While Mbappe has been leading ahead of the likes of Messi, Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, Harry Kane, and Mo Salah, the Frenchman was overpowered by Cristiano Ronaldo in one aspect.

Erling Haaland equals the Champions League feat of Lionel Messi

Last night, domestic sides returned for their Champions League group stage fixtures. Likewise, Manchester City clinched a 1-3 victory against Young Boys. Notably, Erling Haaland finally ended his goal drought as his penalty and header in the second half helped City make a comeback after Manuel Akanji’s efforts in the 48th minute were equalized by an audacious chip from Meschak Elia minutes later.

Notably, Haaland’s two-goal performance has enabled him to match Lionel Messi’s achievement in the Champions League. It appears he has now tallied 37 Champions League goals in his career, placing him on par with Messi for the second-highest total by a player before reaching the age of 24. What’s more, at the age of 23, he has become the youngest player ever to reach 37 goals, surpassing Mbappe’s record before turning 24.

However, despite generating buzz for overtaking Mbappe, Haaland still trails the PSG star. Evidently, Mbappe boasts a total of 42 goals in the UCL, putting Haaland’s 37 in second place behind the World Cup winner. Impressively, the Norwegian has managed to score 14 goals in just 14 Champions League appearances ever since his transfer to Manchester City.

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Nevertheless, despite Haaland having fewer career UCL goals than Mbappe, he has still managed to claim the record for the youngest highest goalscorer from the Frenchman and Messi. Meanwhile, Mbappe has outshone the likes of Messi, Haaland, and even Ronaldo in an astounding feat.

Kylian Mbappe’s impressive feat eclipses big names in soccer

According to a recent tweet on X, statistics show that Kylian Mbappe leads the charts in both goals and assists over the past five years, outperforming some of soccer’s biggest stars. The data reveals that Mbappe has accumulated a total of 319 G/A in 274 games. Behind him is Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, with 317 G/A in 283 games. Meanwhile, Leo Messi ranks third, with 295 G/A in 264 games.

In contrast, Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo sits in eighth place with 195 G/A in 235 matches, lagging significantly behind the top three. Other players in the top 10 include Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who is in seventh place with 204 G/A in 180 matches. Harry Kane is fourth, Mo Salah is fifth, and Karim Benzema is sixth. Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne ranks ninth, and somewhat surprisingly, criticized striker Romelu Lukaku secures the tenth spot.

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