Erling Haaland sat in front of the camera with that calm but deadly smile that has become his signature. The Manchester City superstar, the man who has destroyed defenders across Europe with his thunderous left foot, was asked a question that made him pause for a moment. Between Cristiano Ronaldo’s right foot and Lionel Messi’s left foot, which one would he choose? It was one of those classic football debates that always splits opinions. But Haaland, in his usual confident tone, gave a response that showed both respect and self-belief. He smiled and said, “Since I have got quite an ok left foot, I will take Ronaldo’s right foot.” That single line carried both humility and quiet arrogance, the balance that defines the Norwegian goal machine.
Haaland has never been one to talk too much. He prefers his football to do the speaking. But when he speaks, the world listens. His answer wasn’t just about comparing himself with legends; it was about understanding who he is and what makes him different. He knows his left foot has already written history in England. In just one season, he smashed records that had stood for decades. But even he knows that Cristiano Ronaldo’s right foot has created moments of magic that will forever be part of football’s golden memories.
The idea of Haaland imagining himself with Ronaldo’s right foot almost sounds unfair. Imagine the power of Haaland’s left combined with the precision and technique of Ronaldo’s right. It would be like giving a superhero another superpower. But that is what makes this moment so fascinating. Haaland’s admiration for Ronaldo and Messi is real. He has grown up watching them dominate football. Like millions of kids, he spent his childhood studying how Ronaldo moved, how Messi dribbled, how both legends destroyed defenders without mercy. But now, at just 25, Haaland stands as the man carrying football into a new generation.
His journey has been brutal and beautiful at the same time. From his early days in Norway to his explosion at RB Salzburg, his rise at Borussia Dortmund, and now his unstoppable era at Manchester City, every step has been about goals, discipline, and ambition. He is not just playing football; he is rewriting the standards of what a striker should be. When Pep Guardiola signed him in the summer of 2022, many doubted if the Premier League could handle his style. But those doubts lasted only a few weeks. By the time the first season ended, he had scored 36 goals in the league and over 50 in all competitions. It was madness. It was dominance. It was Haaland becoming a monster.
Pep Guardiola, who has coached Messi and faced Ronaldo many times, could not hide his admiration. “We have lived two incredible decades with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi,” Pep said, “but Haaland is on that level.” Those words shook the football world. Pep does not give out such compliments easily. He had seen Messi’s magic daily at Barcelona. He had built a system that made Messi the world’s best. For him to say Haaland is on that level means something powerful. It means we are watching greatness in real time.
Haaland’s football is simple but deadly. He doesn’t need 20 touches to make an impact. One run, one strike, and the ball is in the net. His left foot is like a weapon. The way he hits the ball — clean, precise, and powerful — makes it feel like he’s bending physics. His movement inside the box, his anticipation, and his ability to appear in the right place at the right time make him unstoppable. When he says he has an “ok left foot,” it almost sounds like a joke. That left foot has destroyed entire defenses.
But that is Haaland’s personality. He is confident but never boastful. He respects the game. He studies it like a student. And that is why he admires Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s journey is one of obsession, of discipline, of turning hard work into perfection. Messi, on the other hand, is pure genius — born with a gift so natural it cannot be taught. Haaland stands between both worlds. He has Ronaldo’s discipline and Messi’s instinct. He is the perfect mixture of power and precision.
During that interview, the look in Haaland’s eyes said more than his words. He wasn’t just answering a question. He was thinking about legacy. He was thinking about the future. He knows that football’s greatest debate — Ronaldo or Messi — has lasted for nearly two decades. But now, slowly, a new debate is forming. It is about whether Haaland can rise to their level or even surpass them in the modern era. And that possibility feels real.
In his first Premier League season, Haaland didn’t just score goals. He broke records that once seemed untouchable. The way he adapted to English football, a league known for its toughness, was incredible. Defenders who had spent years dominating suddenly found themselves helpless. His runs behind the backline, his timing, his strength — everything combined into a style that was both frightening and thrilling. Even rival fans started to accept the truth: Haaland was not normal. He was built differently.
And yet, in the middle of all the praise, Haaland stays humble. He trains like a soldier. He eats clean. He sleeps early. He avoids distractions. His dedication to fitness and nutrition is legendary. He once revealed that he avoids processed foods, eats carefully measured meals, and takes ice baths religiously. To him, the body is a machine that must be maintained with precision. It is the kind of mentality that Ronaldo has built his career on. That’s why when Haaland chose Ronaldo’s right foot, it made sense. He sees in Ronaldo a reflection of his own mentality — the hunger to improve, the willingness to sacrifice, and the obsession with perfection.
But Haaland also knows that Messi’s magic cannot be ignored. He has faced players who idolize Messi, and he understands how Messi changed football’s rhythm. The Argentine turned the impossible into art. He made dribbling through five defenders look easy. Messi’s left foot is not just about goals; it is about poetry. And for Haaland to even be compared to him shows how far the young Norwegian has come.
The day Pep Guardiola said Haaland was on the same level as Ronaldo and Messi, social media exploded. Fans debated endlessly. Some agreed. Some said it was too early. But everyone knew that Haaland was special. He has the numbers, the attitude, and the environment to become one of the greatest ever. With a long-term contract at Manchester City that keeps him at the club until 2034, he has time to chase every record available. He could break the all-time Premier League goals record if he stays consistent. He could even challenge Champions League scoring records. Everything is possible for him.
Inside the City dressing room, players talk about how focused he is. They say he arrives first for training and leaves last. He pushes himself to the limit every single day. His hunger is endless. It is that hunger that makes him so dangerous. He plays with a mix of joy and brutality. Every goal means something to him. Every miss becomes a lesson. He is still young, but he plays with the maturity of a veteran who has seen it all.
Fans adore him because he represents something pure. In a football world filled with drama and controversy, Haaland is refreshingly simple. He wants to score, to win, to improve. That’s all. When he celebrates, it’s with fire in his eyes and calmness in his body. You can feel his love for football in the way he runs, the way he roars after a goal, and the way he hugs his teammates.
When he was asked to choose between Ronaldo’s right foot and Messi’s left, he wasn’t just comparing abilities. He was acknowledging history. Ronaldo and Messi built football’s golden age. They inspired a generation, including Haaland himself. And now, he is the bridge between that era and the new one. His response shows that he carries both respect for the past and belief in his own future.
If Haaland continues at this pace, by the time he turns 30, he could have numbers that even Ronaldo and Messi would respect. He already holds multiple records, from fastest hat-tricks to most goals in debut seasons. But beyond statistics, it’s the aura around him that stands out. Defenders fear him before the whistle even blows. Managers design entire game plans just to stop him, and still, he finds a way through. That is what separates great players from legends — the ability to dominate even when everyone knows what you’re going to do.
In the next decade, football may no longer be about Ronaldo vs Messi. It may become about Haaland vs history. Can he maintain his form for 10 or 15 years like the greats did? Can he evolve, adapt, and continue scoring even as he ages? Those are the questions that will define his career. But if there’s one player who seems ready for that challenge, it’s him.
His journey has only begun, but the world can already feel it — the same way we once felt it with Ronaldo at Manchester United and Messi at Barcelona. That electric feeling that something extraordinary is happening. Haaland carries that energy now. The difference is that his era begins in a time when football is faster, stronger, and more tactical than ever. Yet he still shines brighter than anyone else.
So when Erling Haaland smiles and says, “Since I have got quite an ok left foot, I will take Ronaldo’s right foot,” it’s not just a joke. It’s a statement of balance. It shows respect for greatness while declaring his own. It’s a reminder that football’s next king already knows the throne he’s sitting on — and he’s not planning to leave it anytime soon.
Erling Haaland is not just another star. He is the evolution of greatness itself — the player who grew up watching two gods of football and decided to become the next one
