Has there ever been a more standout perfomer than Haaland campared to their generation.

[Brogue]

I'm sure if you polled every major footballing country who is the best player in the world at the moment 99% of people will say Erling Haaland. Has there ever been a more dominant figure in football?

Over the last 15 years we've had the Messi-Ronaldo debate, I reckon the polls would be split down the middle 50/50

Prior to their rise and looking at the previous mix of ballon dor winners its was a mixture of so many players, to name just a few of the previous winners

1991 Jean-Pierre Papin
92 Marco van Basten
93 Roberto Baggio
94 Hristo Stoichkov
95 George Weah
96 Matthias Sammer
97 (fat) Ronaldo
98 Zinedine Zidane
99 Rivaldo
2000 Luís Figo
01 Michael Owen
02 (fat) Ronaldo
03 Pavel Nedvěd
04 Andriy Shevchenko
05 Ronaldinho
06 Fabio Cannavaro
07 Kaká
08 Cristiano Ronaldo

Then until 2021 it was shared between LM and CR apart from one year when Modric won it.

As we can see from all the players above only Fat Ronaldo was a two-time winner, every other year was a separate winner. imo no one is even close to Haaland of his generation he is head and shoulders above anyone else (pun most definitely intended). Has this ever happened before? Has there ever been a player so far ahead of anyone else? Maybe pele?

[Winston Biscuit]

Mbappe is outrageously talented and IMO will go down as one of the modern day greats. Probably the closest thing to Haaland we have in world football. him still being in France is what is hampering him in that respect.

Mbappe best league campaign is 33 goals in 29 games, which is exactly the same as Haaland right now, but Haaland goes way beyond once you include all comps, and Haaland is doing it against better opposition

[Whore Jackie]

Mbappe is outrageously talented and IMO will go down as one of the modern day greats. Probably the closest thing to Haaland we have in world football. him still being in France is what is hampering him in that respect.

Mbappe best league campaign is 33 goals in 29 games, which is exactly the same as Haaland right now, but Haaland goes way beyond once you include all comps, and Haaland is doing it against better opposition

Yep, this. Haaland's now proved himself in 4 leagues, albeit you'd really only count the Bundesliga and PL as strong. Don't think Ligue 1 is to that level, be really interesting to see Mbappe play somewhere at that level, week in, week out. Madrid looks odds on favourite to take him, but it seems a good league to score a lot of goals in, if you're bloody good.

[Loafer]

never seen a player in my lifetime like him, probably since thierry henry

he just always seems to be in the right place at the right time

[Winston Biscuit]

never seen a player in my lifetime like him, probably since thierry henry

what about when Messi scored 73 goals in one season for Barcelona?

[Loafer]

never seen a player in my lifetime like him, probably since thierry henry

what about when Messi scored 73 goals in one season for Barcelona?

if Haaland was in La Liga he will score 85 goals in those 60 games messi had

[Royal_jimmy]

We'll see. If Haaland can go and do it in Spain and Italy as well then definitely. Same for Mbappe, doing it in France is easier on paper than the premier league or in la liga

[Hendo]

What do you mean if?

He's doing it in the toughest European league and has done it in arguably the second toughest European league.

He'd make it look like he's playing against kids in Spain and Italy.

He may be one of the most pure strikers ever seen.

[NathStPaul]

We'll see. If Haaland can go and do it in Spain and Italy as well then definitely. Same for Mbappe, doing it in France is easier on paper than the premier league or in la liga

Awful take.

[Sanguine]

Mbappe is outrageously talented and IMO will go down as one of the modern day greats. Probably the closest thing to Haaland we have in world football. him still being in France is what is hampering him in that respect.

Mbappe best league campaign is 33 goals in 29 games, which is exactly the same as Haaland right now, but Haaland goes way beyond once you include all comps, and Haaland is doing it against better opposition

Yep, this. Haaland's now proved himself in 4 leagues, albeit you'd really only count the Bundesliga and PL as strong. Don't think Ligue 1 is to that level, be really interesting to see Mbappe play somewhere at that level, week in, week out. Madrid looks odds on favourite to take him, but it seems a good league to score a lot of goals in, if you're bloody good.

Probably an unpopular view, but the Mbappe that stayed at PSG was, in my view, a player scared to test himself in a more demanding league. It just made next to no footballing sense at all.

[Sanguine]

What do you mean if?

He's doing it in the toughest European league and has done it in arguably the second toughest European league.

He'd make it look like he's playing against kids in Spain and Italy.

He may be one of the most pure strikers ever seen.

Exactly. Any notion that the jury is still out on Haaland is nonsense. He's doing it in a poor Norway side too, with 21 goals in 23 games. Just a shame he will play in few major international tournaments. For the biggest indicator of Haaland's ability, see his ridiculous Champions League record, with 35 goals in just 27 games, for three different clubs.

[Hendo]

What do you mean if?

He's doing it in the toughest European league and has done it in arguably the second toughest European league.

He'd make it look like he's playing against kids in Spain and Italy.

He may be one of the most pure strikers ever seen.

Exactly. Any notion that the jury is still out on Haaland is nonsense. He's doing it in a poor Norway side too, with 21 goals in 23 games. Just a shame he will play in few major international tournaments. For the biggest indicator of Haaland's ability, see his ridiculous Champions League record, with 35 goals in just 27 games, for three different clubs.

Yep, agreed - hadn't even considered the Champions League record.

[NathStPaul]

What do you mean if?

He's doing it in the toughest European league and has done it in arguably the second toughest European league.

He'd make it look like he's playing against kids in Spain and Italy.

He may be one of the most pure strikers ever seen.

Exactly. Any notion that the jury is still out on Haaland is nonsense. He's doing it in a poor Norway side too, with 21 goals in 23 games. Just a shame he will play in few major international tournaments. For the biggest indicator of Haaland's ability, see his ridiculous Champions League record, with 35 goals in just 27 games, for three different clubs.

Am I right in saying he could have chosen to play for England?

[Sanguine]

What do you mean if?

He's doing it in the toughest European league and has done it in arguably the second toughest European league.

He'd make it look like he's playing against kids in Spain and Italy.

He may be one of the most pure strikers ever seen.

Exactly. Any notion that the jury is still out on Haaland is nonsense. He's doing it in a poor Norway side too, with 21 goals in 23 games. Just a shame he will play in few major international tournaments. For the biggest indicator of Haaland's ability, see his ridiculous Champions League record, with 35 goals in just 27 games, for three different clubs.

Yep, agreed - hadn't even considered the Champions League record.

Mbappe has a goal every 119 minutes in the Champions League, which is excellent. Haaland? A goal every 58 minutes.

[Sanguine]

What do you mean if?

He's doing it in the toughest European league and has done it in arguably the second toughest European league.

He'd make it look like he's playing against kids in Spain and Italy.

He may be one of the most pure strikers ever seen.

Exactly. Any notion that the jury is still out on Haaland is nonsense. He's doing it in a poor Norway side too, with 21 goals in 23 games. Just a shame he will play in few major international tournaments. For the biggest indicator of Haaland's ability, see his ridiculous Champions League record, with 35 goals in just 27 games, for three different clubs.

Am I right in saying he could have chosen to play for England?

In theory, he was born in Leeds - but I don't think it was ever on the table, his Dad moved the family back to Norway when Erling was three.

[Hendo]

Exactly. Any notion that the jury is still out on Haaland is nonsense. He's doing it in a poor Norway side too, with 21 goals in 23 games. Just a shame he will play in few major international tournaments. For the biggest indicator of Haaland's ability, see his ridiculous Champions League record, with 35 goals in just 27 games, for three different clubs.

Yep, agreed - hadn't even considered the Champions League record.

Mbappe has a goal every 119 minutes in the Champions League, which is excellent. Haaland? A goal every 58 minutes.

Madness.

[Winston Biscuit]

Saw a comment online (from Lars Sivertsen) about Haalands unusual accent so did a little research.

Apparently he not only has the distinctive accent from the small town of Bryne in the South West of Norway but he has a particularly strong version of it which is considered unusual in younger folk these days and is more associated with the older farmer generation from that area.

I read that while other Norweigens would not have a problem understanding him, its an accent you rarely hear on national telly there due to its unusual nature, and its an accent so strong that other Scandi folk who speak Norweigen as a 2nd language would very likely not be able to understand what he is saying.

Saw someone online liken it to someone here with a strong Cornish accent

[Ascotexgunner]

Germans could argue Lewandowski, fantastic seasons at Dortmund and insane scoring record at Bayern and for Germany especially.
Holds 5 records in the Guinness Book of records.

[leon]

Germans could argue Lewandowski, fantastic seasons at Dortmund and insane scoring record at Bayern and for Germany especially.
Holds 5 records in the Guinness Book of records.

Errr for Poland surely?

Although yes he’s often overlooked because of the 2 greatest footballers of the world ever.

[leon]

Saw a comment online (from Lars Sivertsen) about Haalands unusual accent so did a little research.

Apparently he not only has the distinctive accent from the small town of Bryne in the South West of Norway but he has a particularly strong version of it which is considered unusual in younger folk these days and is more associated with the older farmer generation from that area.

I read that while other Norweigens would not have a problem understanding him, its an accent you rarely hear on national telly there due to its unusual nature, and its an accent so strong that other Scandi folk who speak Norweigen as a 2nd language would very likely not be able to understand what he is saying.

Saw someone online liken it to someone here with a strong Cornish accent

So he’s Jethro?