Striker Erling Haaland denied the possibility of forming a new football rivalry with Kylian Mbappe, like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did.
Haaland (right) and Mbappe are among the world's biggest stars. Photo: Goal
At the age of 23, Haaland is expected to be a new generation superstar of world football, following in the footsteps of Messi or Ronaldo. Last season, the Norwegian striker scored 52 goals in 53 matches in all competitions, helping Man City win the treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League last season. He won all individual titles, including the best player and best young player of the 2022-2023 Premier League, awarded by the tournament organizers, the best player of English football this season voted by the Football Writers' Association (FWA) and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), the Champions League top scorer and the European Golden Shoe. Along with Messi, Haaland is leading the race for the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
Mbappe is considered the only player of enough quality to compete with Haaland in the coming years. The 24-year-old striker shone when France won the 2018 World Cup and reached the final in 2022. At club level, he is the number one star at PSG, scoring 212 goals and 98 assists in 260 matches in all competitions, helping the French capital team win five Ligue 1, three French Cups, two French League Cups and two French Super Cups.
"That's what people think, but it's important to emphasize how crazy Messi and Ronaldo have done things. And also remember that they're still doing it even though they're getting older. They're extraordinary players," Haaland told France Football when asked about the expectation of Mbappe forming a rivalry like Messi and Ronaldo. "I never compare myself to other players. That's not how I look at things. I focus on myself, trying to do better every day. That way I enjoy what I do and become the best version of myself."
In his second season at Man City, Haaland is still the main gun of the Etihad team. After four rounds of the Premier League, the Norwegian striker scored six goals. Meanwhile, Mbappe also scored five goals after three matches in Ligue 1. Although he asserted that he did not care about what other players did, Haaland admitted that he spent most of his time watching football. "You could say that football takes up all my time on and off the pitch. I like to watch other players play. However, because of playing and recovering, I don't have much free time," he said.
Duy Doan (according to Goal )
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