Erling Haaland has better goals per game ratio than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did at 21 

Erling Haaland’s goal tally at 21 years old is UNMATCHED by the world’s best, as Manchester City’s £51m superstar recruit has a better goals per game ratio than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Aguero did at the same age

  • Erling Haaland has signed a five-year deal with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City
  • The Premier League champions paid £51m to Borussia Dortmund for the striker
  • Haaland, who turns 22 next month, has scored 135 goals in 182 club games so far
  • That gives him a better goals per game rate than the world’s best at the same age
  • Lionel Messi (0.47) and Cristiano Ronaldo (0.23) are dwarfed by the Norwegian 

Everyone knows how good new Manchester City recruit Erling Haaland is, but the Norwegian’s goals per game ratio shows just how remarkable his talent is at 21 years old. 

City activated Haaland’s £51million Borussia Dortmund release clause last month and confirmed that the striker had signed a five-year contract earlier this week. 

Joining the Premier League champions, his father Alfe-Inge’s former club, is the next step in Haaland’s career so far which has seen him score goals for fun everywhere he has been. 

Manchester City City activated Erling Haaland’s £51million Borussia Dortmund release clause

The striker has a better goals per game ratio (0.74) than Lionel Messi (0.47) did at the age of 21

The striker has a better goals per game ratio (0.74) than Lionel Messi (0.47) did at the age of 21

He made his professional debut at the age of 15 for hometown club Bryne in Norway, before moving to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Molde side. A switch to Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg arrived in 2018 and then Dortmund signed him two and a half years ago.

In total, Haaland has scored 135 goals in 182 club games, giving him a goals per game ratio of 0.74 before he turns 22 next month. 

Research from SBK shows that those numbers are unmatched by some of best players of the modern era at the same age. 

Cristiano Ronaldo had only scored 55 goals in 233 matches before he turned 22 years old

Cristiano Ronaldo had only scored 55 goals in 233 matches before he turned 22 years old

Haaland will hope to emulate Sergio Aguero's heroics during his time at the Etihad Stadium

Haaland will hope to emulate Sergio Aguero’s heroics during his time at the Etihad Stadium

Lionel Messi’s goals per game ratio at the age of 21 was 0.47 (80 goals in 179 games), while Cristiano Ronaldo’s was under a third of Haaland’s figure at 0.23 (55 in 233).  

The Norwegian will hope to emulate Sergio Aguero’s heroics at the Etihad Stadium, but even the City legend had a goals per game ratio of just 0.4 (93 in 235) at 21. 

Of players currently in the Premier League, Romelu Lukaku’s 0.39 (102 in 259) and Harry Kane’s 0.33 (63 in 190) are the next best at the same age. 

HOW THE WORLD’S BEST COMPARED AT 21 YEARS OLD 
Name  Games     Goals  Goals per game
Erling Haaland     182   135  0.74 
Neymar  179   85  0.50 
Lionel Messi  179    80  0.47 
Sergio Aguero  235    93  0.40 
Romelu Lukaku  259    102  0.39 
Harry Kane  190    63  0.33 
Wayne Rooney  225    76  0.33 
Robin van Persie  124    31  0.25 
Cristiano Ronaldo  233    55  0.23 
Alan Shearer  111    24  0.21