Erling Haaland is only 23 years old, but the Manchester City striker has been rewriting records since scoring a hat-trick in the first half of his Champions League debut, becoming only the third player to score five times in a Champions League game.
How many Champions League goals has Haaland scored?
Erling Haaland set a new record with 41 goals in 38 Champions League games. The Norwegian striker is just 23 years old and in his fifth season, but he is already joint 17th in the Champions League all-time goalscorer list, ahead of the likes of Samuel Eto'o, Antoine Griezmann, Kaka and Wayne Rooney, tied with Sergio Aguero and close to Alessandro Del Piero and Neymar.
Leeds-born Erling Haaland made a splash at Salzburg in 2019, becoming the first and so far only player to score a hat-trick in the first half of his debut, a 6-2 win over Genk. He scored in his first five Champions League games (a record eight goals in total), becoming only the third player after Alessandro Del Piero and Diego Costa to do so.
After the 2019/20 group stage, Haaland moved to Borussia Dortmund, scoring twice in his Champions League debut for the club, taking his tally to double figures in the competition – a record of seven at the time. Since then, Haaland has set similar records, 15 goals (12 games), 20 goals (14 goals), and after moving to Manchester City in the summer of 2022, he scored 25 goals (20 goals), 30 goals (25 goals) and 35 goals (27 goals); At 22 years and 272 days, he is also the youngest player to reach the latter's record. Haaland's goal in the fifth round against Leipzig in the 2023/24 season also makes him the fastest (35 games) and youngest (23 years, 130 days) player to reach 40 goals in the competition.
How Haaland's Champions League goal came about
Left foot: 28; Right foot: 9; Headers: 4.
In the second leg of the 2022/23 quarter-final against Bayern Munich, Haaland scored six goals but missed one of seven (left-footed) penalties in the game.
Who has Haaland played against in the Champions League?
Haaland has played against 19 different teams in the Champions League and scored in 14 of them – only Ajax, Manchester City (who were at Dortmund at the time), Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Red Star Belgrade managed to stop him. Eight of his goals came against Belgian sides, while Sevilla alone have conceded six goals in three games.
When did Erling Haaland score in the Champions League?
Haaland's goals have been almost evenly distributed in both halves so far, but opposition managers should note that he will grow stronger as the game progresses. He was the most dangerous midway through the second half.
How many hat-tricks has Haaland scored in the Champions League?
Haaland has already scored a hat-trick twice in the Champions League, the first being in the first half of his debut against Genk in 2019. He then scored twice in nine games, becoming the first player in Borussia Dortmund history to score multiple times in four consecutive Champions League games. But it wasn't until he became the third player to score five times in the Champions League in the second leg of the round of 16 against Leipzig in 2023 that he scored a hat-trick again.
Haaland's Champions League goal comparison: Mbappe, Messi, Ronaldo
Erling Haaland was in excellent form in the Champions League, scoring 10 goals in just seven games and 20 in seven games – both of which were set, but Sébastien Aller then overtook him in just six games to reach his first milestone.
No one has come close to a record of 20 goals in just 14 games. His closest rival, Harry Kane, spent 10 games more than him; Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (36 games each) and Kylian Mbappe (37) took longer, while Ronaldo, who didn't score until the 27th Champions League game, scored 56 goals.
Haaland scored five goals against Leipzig, taking him to 30 goals in 25 games and set another new Champions League record; The previous best record was Ruud van Nistelrooy with 34 races. He then surpassed the Dutchman's record of 42 games to become the fastest player to score 35 goals, and was younger than the previous record holder Kylian Mbappe (23 years, 260 days), and broke the record again with 40 goals (35 games, 23 years, 130 days).
Haaland holds the Champions League record
· Youngest goal reached 15 – 20 years and 126 days
· 15 fastest goals – 12 games
· Youngest to score 20 goals – 20 years, 231 days
· Fastest 20 goals – 14 games
· The youngest goal reached 25 – 22 years and 47 days
· The fastest to reach 25 goals – 20 games
· The youngest goal reached 30 – 22 years, 236 days
· Fastest 30 goals – 25 games
· The youngest goal reached 35 – 22 years and 272 days
· Fastest goal 35 - 27 games
· Fewer than 40 goals scored – 23 years and 130 days
· Fastest 40 goals – 35 games
· The only player to score a hat-trick in the first half of his tournament debut
· The only player to score in four consecutive games
· The only player to score more than one goal on his debut in a tournament for three different clubs
Haaland is aiming to break the Champions League record
· Youngest to score 50 goals – Lionel Messi (24 years, 284 days)
· Fastest 50 goals – Ruud van Nistelrooy (62 games)