Haaland backed to become football’s greatest goalscorer after Porto double
By Joel Masibo, September 9, 2026Erling Haaland strengthened his growing reputation as one of football’s most prolific finishers after scoring twice to help Manchester City defeat Porto 2-0 in their Champions League opener on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
The Norway international’s latest brace has taken his Manchester City tally to 167 goals in 203 appearances, moving him into third place on the club’s all-time scoring chart. He is now just 93 goals short of Sergio Aguero’s record.
Haaland’s extraordinary numbers have also prompted former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher to make an enormous prediction about the striker’s eventual place in football history.
Speaking to CBS Sports, Carragher said: “I just can’t see Haaland not scoring 1,000 goals or being the best goalscorer of all time”
The 26-year-old has already registered 364 goals for his clubs and Norway across 424 senior appearances. His scoring record at such a relatively young age has led to speculation that he could eventually reach the unprecedented milestone of 1,000 career goals.
Carragher believes Haaland’s remarkable consistency has almost made his extraordinary achievements seem routine.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in terms of goals and numbers, and it is every game – but because he does it so often, it does not feel that big.He has just scored two goals away from home in the Champions League – any other striker does that; it is an amazing night. It just feels like a normal night,” Carragher said.
The former England international added:
“I just can’t see how he does not end up being the greatest goalscorer or getting the most goals we have ever seen anybody get.”
Haaland continuing to rewrite Champions League records
Haaland’s record in Europe is equally impressive. Since making his Champions League debut during the 2019-20 campaign, he has scored 42 times in 39 group-stage or league-phase appearances, the highest total recorded by any player during that period.
His double against Porto also took his overall Champions League tally to 59 goals in 59 appearances.
He is now level with Aguero on 36 Champions League goals for Manchester City and needs only one more to become the club’s outright leading scorer in the competition.
Porto manager Francesco Farioli summed up the difficulty of containing the Norwegian by describing him as a “monster” after the match.
Haaland believes he could have scored even more
Despite finding the net twice in Portugal, Haaland was convinced that his personal contribution could have been even greater.
The striker told Amazon Prime:
“Amazing game against the champions of Portugal. We knew it was going to be a difficult fight, man against man. They’re a top team, impressive, all of them. They play amazing football.
“Well done to them. But with all the pressure, we have to deliver on the biggest stage. That’s what we did tonight.
“Honestly, we controlled the whole first half. Of course, it’s a bit uncomfortable when they come high. But we created a lot of chances. I could have easily had a few more goals.”
He acknowledged that City faced a tougher spell after the interval but praised the team for remaining composed and protecting their advantage.
“But second half, we scored and they managed to push us for a good 25 minutes. We managed to hold through and finish the game.
“These are the games we have to win. We had a great start to the season, and in the Champions League, you have to win games. If not, you get all the pressure.”
Could Haaland really score 1,000 goals?
The statistics provide some basis for Carragher’s bold prediction.
At 26 years and 49 days, Haaland has already accumulated 364 senior goals. At exactly the same age, Lionel Messi had 348, while Cristiano Ronaldo had 219.
That means Haaland is 16 goals ahead of Messi and 145 goals clear of Ronaldo at the equivalent stage of their careers.
The Norwegian therefore needs another 636 goals to reach 1,000.
Since arriving at Manchester City in 2022, Haaland has averaged approximately 51 goals per season for club and country. If he were able to maintain that extraordinary rate, he could theoretically reach the 1,000-goal mark at around 38 years and eight months old.
However, sustaining that level for more than a decade would require exceptional fitness, longevity and consistency. Ronaldo’s ability to remain a prolific scorer deep into his career illustrates just how important longevity would be to Haaland’s pursuit of such a historic figure.
For now, Haaland’s immediate focus switches back to domestic football, with Manchester City preparing to face Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
After another European night in which he delivered on the biggest stage, the question surrounding Haaland is becoming less about whether he is an elite goalscorer and more about just how high his final career total could eventually climb.