Erling Haaland’s Remarkable Achievements, But Is He Lionel Messi at 23?

Erling Haaland has become a goalscoring sensation, earning praise from Manchester City fans who hail him as their prolific goal machine. However, the question arises: Can the Ballon d’Or runner-up be favorably compared to Lionel Messi when the Argentinean was of a similar age? Let’s delve into the comparisons.

At 23 years old, Haaland boasts an impressive record with 7 team trophies and 15 individual awards, including the prestigious Premier League, Champions League, and DFB Pokal.

In contrast, by the end of 2010, Lionel Messi had already accumulated an astonishing 14 collective trophies and 18 individual accolades, which included 4 La Liga titles, 2 Champions League triumphs, and 2 Ballon d’Or awards. Furthermore, Messi had secured a U20 World Cup victory and an Olympic gold medal in 2008.

Analyzing their club-level contributions, Haaland has tallied an impressive 200 goals and provided 48 assists in 251 games, equating to 0.9 goal contributions per game. At the same age, Messi had recorded 140 goals and 57 assists in 262 appearances, averaging 0.8 goal contributions per game.

However, it’s essential to consider the playing positions: Messi primarily operated as a right winger or a false nine at Barcelona, while Haaland is predominantly a striker or a center-forward.

Another noteworthy factor is the league context—Messi’s accomplishments came in La Liga, widely regarded as one of the top-tier leagues in the world, far surpassing the Norwegian, Austrian, and German leagues.

While acknowledging Haaland’s undeniable talent and skill, it’s evident that comparisons to Messi, particularly at the age of 23, reveal the exceptional nature of Messi’s early career and the considerable gap that remains to be bridged.