Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are such exceptional football stars that it is hard to imagine if anyone else taking their place in the world of football.
However, Manchester City's manager, Pep Guardiola considers a certain player as a genuine contender who could challenge these football stars.
Guardiola thinks that Eric Haaland might eventually break the incredible records previously set by Messi and Ronaldo.
Haaland recently made history on the first match day of the 2025-25 Champions League by becoming the quickest player ever to score 50 goals in the tournament.
The player scored 50 Champions League goals faster than any player before, doing it in just 49 matches compared to the previous record of 62 held by Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Guardiola thinks that if Haaland continues performing, he has a real chance to surpass Ronaldo's all time goal record.
“He’s not injured, he can play for another 10–12 years, and if he keeps this up, he absolutely can catch up. What can I say? The numbers speak for themselves. We’re lucky to have him on the team," he said.
Guardiola added, “Just to congratulate him, because to reach 50 goals so quickly and to be mentioned alongside Van Nistelrooy, Lewandowski, but above all alongside the two ‘monsters’ Cristiano and Messi, is incredible."
Ronaldo leads the all-time Champions League goal chart with 140 goals for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, while Messi is second with 129 goals, all for Barcelona.