It was another night of brilliance, another chapter written in the unstoppable story of Erling Haaland — the Norwegian machine who seems to have no off switch. Under the bright lights of the Etihad Stadium, in Manchester City’s 3–1 win against Villarreal, Haaland did what Haaland always does: he scored. But this goal was more than just another number; it was a piece of history. With that strike, Erling Haaland officially matched one of the most extraordinary records in modern football — Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning achievement of scoring in 12 consecutive matches.
For most strikers, scoring in a few consecutive games is already impressive. But for Haaland, the word “streak” has become almost meaningless. It is simply his standard. Since his first goal of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion in August, he has found the back of the net every single time he has stepped onto the pitch. In those 12 matches, he has scored a jaw-dropping 22 goals. He has terrorized defenders, crushed goalkeepers’ confidence, and reminded the football world why Pep Guardiola calls him a “once-in-a-generation striker.”
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that the last player to maintain such relentless consistency was none other than Cristiano Ronaldo — the man who defined goal scoring for nearly two decades. Ronaldo’s record was seen as unbreakable, a level of excellence few could ever reach. Yet here stands a 25-year-old Norwegian who is already threatening to go beyond it.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City may have changed tactics this season, with the focus shifting slightly from possession domination to more vertical, direct play. But one thing remains constant: when the ball reaches Erling Haaland, something is about to happen. Against Villarreal, his finish was as ruthless as ever — a single touch to control, another to bury the ball past the goalkeeper. No celebration too wild, no excessive emotion. Just calm, efficient, and inevitable. It was business as usual for the Norwegian powerhouse.
For his teammates, the awe never fades. Ruben Dias, the captain and defensive leader of Manchester City, summed it up perfectly when asked about Haaland’s form. “It’s a good reflection of his state of mind,” he said. “In that, he is very similar to Ronaldo. Everyone wants to score goals, but both of them have this ability to just keep on scoring and scoring.” Dias’s words carried weight — not just as praise, but as acknowledgment that Haaland’s hunger sets him apart.
Inside the Manchester City dressing room, they see it every day. Haaland trains with the same intensity he plays with. Every finishing drill is treated like a final. Every sprint, every shot, every moment is fueled by a deep desire to improve. “We want to keep pushing him because we want him to break records that have not been beaten before,” Dias continued. “Mentality is key in everything. But also, there’s natural talent and a lot of other things.”
This combination — an extraordinary mentality fused with freakish talent — is what has drawn comparisons between Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo for years. Both men are obsessed with perfection, with constant progress, with rewriting history. Yet their approaches are slightly different. Ronaldo’s career was built on evolution — from a tricky winger to a lethal poacher. Haaland, however, seemed to arrive fully formed, already a goal-scoring monster from the moment he stepped into senior football.
Since joining Manchester City, his numbers have been unreal. Last season, he shattered the Premier League record for most goals in a single campaign, netting 36 times. He became the fastest player in history to reach 50 UEFA Champions League goals, achieving the feat in just 48 matches — smashing the record previously held by Ruud van Nistelrooy. And now, he stands shoulder to shoulder with Cristiano Ronaldo in one of the most demanding scoring streaks the modern game has ever seen.
But Haaland is not stopping here. He now has the chance to go one step further and break Ronaldo’s record outright. That opportunity comes this weekend when Manchester City face Aston Villa at Villa Park in the Premier League. If he scores again, history will be his alone. Guardiola, who has managed some of the greatest players of all time, including Lionel Messi, knows what he is witnessing. “In that rhythm, yeah, Erling can break the record,” the City boss said earlier this season when asked if Haaland could eventually surpass Ronaldo’s all-time Champions League goal tally of 140. “If he’s not injured, if he plays for 10 or 12 more years, and if he keeps this progression — absolutely.”
For Guardiola, it is not just about the goals but about how Haaland scores them. The precision, the positioning, the timing — it’s all meticulously studied. “The numbers speak for themselves,” Guardiola added. “We are lucky to have him. He’s alongside goalscorers like Van Nistelrooy, Lewandowski, but especially the two monsters Cristiano and Messi for 20 years. For Erling to be there is unbelievable.”
The mention of Ronaldo and Messi in the same breath as Haaland once seemed far-fetched. But not anymore. Haaland is not just a striker who scores — he is redefining what scoring consistency means in modern football. Ronaldo dominated the Champions League for two decades, turning Real Madrid’s European nights into personal showcases of greatness. Haaland now appears to be walking the same path, wearing sky blue instead of white, and doing so with frightening ease.
What stands out most about Haaland’s rise is his humility. In interviews, he often smiles shyly when praised, giving short, modest answers like, “I just try to do my job.” But behind that calm exterior lies an obsession with improvement that mirrors Ronaldo’s legendary work ethic. He studies defenders before every match, practices finishing angles for hours, and even adjusts his diet and sleep patterns to maximize performance.
Manchester City’s players see him as both a teammate and a standard to aspire to. They talk about how his intensity raises the level of everyone around him. Young players like Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis often stay behind after training, watching Haaland rehearse shooting drills, learning from his movements and his hunger. Even seasoned veterans like Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva admit that Haaland’s focus has brought new energy into the squad.
This season, his goals have come in every shape imaginable. Long-range strikes, headers, one-touch finishes, penalties, and even rebounds — each executed with cold precision. There was the hat-trick against Israel during the international break, a five-goal masterclass against Moldova, and decisive strikes in both domestic and European fixtures. The only team to stop him this season was Tottenham Hotspur — and even then, Manchester City still won 2–0.
As the records keep tumbling, comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo will only grow. Ronaldo’s career was defined by longevity and the ability to perform at the highest level across multiple clubs and leagues — from Manchester United to Real Madrid to Juventus. Haaland, still in his mid-20s, has years ahead of him to chase down those numbers. If he stays healthy, he could rewrite the Champions League’s all-time scoring charts.
Cristiano Ronaldo, now playing outside Europe, has accepted that his time on the grandest stage is over. But his influence remains. Every young forward — Mbappé, Haaland, Vlahović, Osimhen — has studied him. They have watched how Ronaldo trained, how he celebrated, how he carried himself. Haaland, in particular, has spoken about his admiration for the Portuguese legend. “He is an inspiration,” he once said. “The way he has kept scoring for so many years — it’s something every striker dreams of.”
And yet, Haaland is not trying to be Ronaldo. He is building his own legacy — one that feels both familiar and entirely new. While Ronaldo’s greatness was wrapped in flair and charisma, Haaland’s brilliance is cold, methodical, and terrifyingly efficient. There’s a robotic quality to how he plays — every movement measured, every finish ruthless. That’s why defenders fear him. There’s no emotion, no hesitation, just execution.
Inside Manchester City’s camp, there’s a quiet belief that Haaland is only scratching the surface. Guardiola’s system continues to evolve, and as creative players like Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, and Julian Alvarez grow alongside him, the supply line feeding Haaland only becomes stronger. “He is a monster in front of goal,” Guardiola said recently. “But what people don’t see is how much he wants to learn. That’s why he’s special.”
The world is watching closely now. Each time Haaland steps onto the pitch, he carries not just expectation but anticipation — the feeling that something historic could happen at any moment. And as he prepares for the Aston Villa clash, one question dominates headlines across Europe: can he break Ronaldo’s streak? If history has taught us anything, it’s that telling Haaland something is impossible only motivates him more.
Football is a game of eras, and each generation finds its own symbol of greatness. For years, it was Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who defined the sport — two icons who turned competition into art. Now, Erling Haaland stands at the dawn of a new age, carrying their legacy forward while carving his own identity. His power, his precision, and his relentless pursuit of goals have made him the face of football’s next era.
As Manchester City fans chant his name, as analysts search for new adjectives to describe him, and as records continue to fall, Haaland remains focused on one thing: the next goal. Because for him, it’s never about the past or even the present — it’s always about what comes next.
Ronaldo’s record was once a symbol of unreachable perfection. Now, Haaland is about to make it his own. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned about the Norwegian striker, it’s that he doesn’t stop once he starts. The world may be comparing him to Cristiano Ronaldo today — but if this form continues, soon they’ll be comparing others to Erling Haaland.
