Erling Haaland’s Rise in the Champions League
Erling Haaland has made a significant impact in the UEFA Champions League, continuing to add goals to his growing collection. This week, he scored against his former club Borussia Dortmund, further solidifying his place among the competition’s elite scorers. With this goal, Haaland now stands at 54 goals in the tournament, a number that brings him closer to Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time record of 140.
But Haaland isn’t just chasing Ronaldo; he has already surpassed some of the most iconic names in the history of the competition. Here are nine legends who have been overtaken by the Norwegian striker:
- Luis Suarez: Despite scoring 513 goals in his career, only 27 of them came in the Champions League. Suarez didn’t make his debut until he was 23 and played for Liverpool when qualifying for the tournament wasn’t guaranteed. His best performance came at Barcelona, where he scored 25 goals in 55 matches before moving to Atletico Madrid.
- Goals: 27
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Games: 73
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Wayne Rooney: Rooney’s early success included a hat-trick against Fenerbahce in 2004, but he never became a consistent scorer in the competition. His best single-season tally was five goals, and he scored United’s only goal in their 2009 final defeat to Barcelona.
- Goals: 30
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Games: 85
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Sergio Aguero: Before Haaland, Aguero was one of the standout strikers in the competition. He scored 41 goals in 79 appearances for Manchester City, including a notable performance in a final under Pep Guardiola.
- Goals: 41
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Games: 79
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Neymar: Despite playing for top European clubs like Barcelona and PSG, Neymar has only managed 43 goals in the competition. His time with Messi meant sharing the spotlight, but his goal tally is still lower than expected for a player of his caliber.
- Goals: 43
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Games: 81
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Mohamed Salah: Salah has become a key figure for Liverpool, particularly in the Champions League. His first season at Anfield saw him score 10 goals as the team reached the final. He later won the trophy in 2022.
- Goals: 48
- Games: 92
- Thierry Henry: Henry’s Champions League career began with Monaco, where he scored seven goals in nine games. He later joined Arsenal, though the club never won the competition. However, he eventually lifted the trophy with Barcelona in 2009.
- Goals: 50
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Games: 112
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Despite winning nearly every other trophy, Ibrahimovic has never won the Champions League. He reached the quarter-finals once but never made it past that stage.
- Goals: 48
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Games: 124
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Harry Kane: Now at Bayern Munich, Kane has been scoring consistently. Before joining the German giants, he had limited opportunities at Tottenham, where he scored 21 goals in 32 appearances.
- Goals: 45
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Games: 61
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Didier Drogba: Drogba is remembered for his iconic performance in the 2011-12 Champions League final, where he led Chelsea to victory over Bayern Munich. He scored six goals that season, his joint-best tally.
- Goals: 44
- Games: 92
As Haaland continues to climb the ranks, his achievements in the Champions League are becoming increasingly impressive. With each goal, he moves closer to the legendary status of those who came before him, and the competition is watching closely.