Erling Haaland once again made headlines in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League by finding the back of the net in Manchester City’s opening game against Napoli at the Etihad Stadium. With 50 goals in just 49 appearances, the question now is: how long will it take him to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time scoring record?
Haaland struck first in City’s 2-0 victory over Napoli. In the 56th minute, Rodri slipped the ball to Phil Foden, who produced a clever touch before floating a cross into the area. Haaland met it with a precise header, steering the ball just over goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić to put City in front.
The strike marked a historic milestone for Haaland, who became the fastest player ever to reach 50 goals in the competition, doing so in only 49 games. He shattered the pace set by some of the game’s greats: Lionel Messi (66 games), Robert Lewandowski (77), Kylian Mbappé (79), and Ronaldo himself (91).
Haaland’s Champions League journey began with a breakout campaign at RB Salzburg in 2019-20, where he scored 8 goals in 6 matches. He continued at Borussia Dortmund, adding 15 goals in 13 games, before taking his tally to new heights with Manchester City. With the Premier League champions, he has now scored 27 times in 30 appearances, a total that looks set to keep growing rapidly.
When could Haaland surpass Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo remains the Champions League’s all-time leading scorer with 140 goals in 183 games, while Messi sits second with 129 in 163. But given Haaland’s extraordinary strike rate at just 25 years old, many wonder whether he can catch, and even surpass, Ronaldo.
With his goal against Napoli, Haaland is averaging just over one goal per game, 1.02, to be precise. The gap to Ronaldo stands at 90 goals. At his current rate, it would take 89 more appearances for Haaland to draw level with Ronaldo’s record.
To surpass him, Haaland would need 90 additional matches, reaching 141 goals in 139 games, an unprecedented achievement. With the Champions League’s expanded format guaranteeing teams at least eight matches in the opening phase, and the possibility of playing up to 17 games in a single campaign including the knockout rounds, Haaland has ample opportunities ahead.
Of course, how quickly he gets there depends on both his own health and his team’s consistency in reaching the latter stages of the competition. But if he maintains his fitness and form, Haaland could realistically challenge Ronaldo’s record within the next several seasons, not immediately, but well within his prime years.