Pep Guardiola makes bold claim about Erling Haaland: ‘He’s reached the level of Messi and Ronaldo’
Erling Haaland has been thriving in the 2025-26 season, emerging as one of the frontrunners for the Premier League Golden Boot with 13 goals. After another standout performance against Bournemouth, head coach Pep Guardiola made a bold claim about the Norwegian star: “He’s reached the level of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Manchester City faced AFC Bournemouth on Sunday looking to climb into the top spots of the Premier League table and close the gap on leaders Arsenal. Exploiting the spaces behind the defense, Haaland struck with a brace, opening the scoring in the 17th minute and doubling City’s lead in the 33rd, as the Citizens claimed all three points in yet another great performance of the Norwegian.
With Haaland responsible for 65% of City’s Premier League goals this season, Guardiola was asked whether he’s concerned about the team’s dependence on him. “It’s true, but we played against Swansea City without him and scored 3 goals… This is what it’s like if you play with Messi or Ronaldo, his influence is so big, the vision and all. Of course we need the goals from Phil and the others but we had the chances,” he said on the post match press conference.
When pressed on whether Haaland has truly reached the level of the Argentine and Portuguese legends, Guardiola didn’t hesitate: “You see the numbers of that guy? Of course he’s that level. Messi and Ronaldo have done it for 15 years: Messi’s in the MLS scoring two, three goals every day, Cristiano in Saudi the same. But this is the level. The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, it’s like ‘I am going to score’.”
Guardiola has often said that no one can match Messi in the GOAT conversation, while also praising Ronaldo’s consistency and legacy over the years. But with Haaland’s current form, the Spanish manager made it clear that the numbers the striker has been pulling off now mirror the kind of influence once seen from the two legends.
Haaland and a strong start to the 2025-26 season
Last season didn’t go as planned for either Haaland or Manchester City, who ended the campaign without silverware. But in 2025-26, the tables have turned, especially for the Norwegian forward, who’s enjoying one of the best moments of his career. He’s already scored 25 goals in 16 appearances across all competitions for City and the Norway national team.
The brace against Bournemouth pushed Haaland’s Premier League total to 13 goals, well ahead of a group of players tied for second place (Semenyo, Thiago, Mateta, and Welbeck), all with six. He’s also closing in on his 2022-23 pace, when he netted 15 goals after Matchday 10, signaling a powerful return to form.
Manchester City recovering key pieces
Following the 3-1 win over Bournemouth, City climbed to the second place in the Premier League with 19 points, six behind the Gunners. Still, the team will have to endure some challenging weeks, with Borussia Dortmund awaiting in the Champions League midweek, followed by a massive league clash with Liverpool before the November international break.
Speaking about Haaland’s form, Guardiola emphasized the importance of getting key players back: “He has that hunger. It’s top. I said how incredibly coachable and manageable he is. I am tough sometimes with Haaland, but he is open-minded. He lives for the goals and sometimes the pressure cannot sustain 90 minutes, but that’s normal. Without him it would be tough to be honest, but we are lucky that Omar (Marmoush) is back, and we have fit players, it’s good.”