I don't think Ronaldo gets anywhere near any GOAT conversation without his goals and high goalratio. He was the focal point in one of the best teams in the history of the game, and his goals and trophies are literally the only things that brings him into any GOAT discussion at all. It isn't his stepovers, passing or crossing.
We've never in the history of European football seen anyone at Haalands age scoring at the rate he is scoring now at the top level and he has some extreme and unique qualities the world hasn't seen on a football pitch before at all. And yet he looks so far from the finished article. The combination is mindblowing. Hence why this thread has 85 pages 4 weeks into the season, Haaland is trending on youtube, on social media and the majority of pundits are jizzing all over him these days.
Scoring goals is the hardest and most important thing to do on a football pitch, and Haaland seems determined to break every record and become the best ever at it.
At the rate he is scoring now he will have a shot at Messi's 92 goals for club and country in a year and will easily score 50 a season even with injuries.
In Messi's 11/12 and 12/13 season when he scored 118 goals in LaLiga (50 and 46 goals) and the CL alone, he scored a goal every 65 minutes he was on the pitch. Haaland so far this season has scored every 46 minutes he's been on the pitch. It's hard to wrap your head around how insane that actually is.
To put that into perspective: C. Ronaldo scored a goal every 99 minutes in his Golden shoe, Ballon d'or, CL and PL winning season with us....
...or: Michael Owen winning the Ballon d'or off the back of a season where Liverpool won the FA, Carabao (didn't play the final) and UEFA cup where he wasn't even topscorer in the PL (scoring 24 goals across all comps).
If he ends up breaking most of the standing goalscoring records and win a shitload of trophies along the way, he will obviously end up somewhere near the top on every GOAT list.
He's is only 22 and there is no guarantees in football, so lets see how it pans out.
I think both Haaland and Mbappe can get into the top 5 GOAT list if they avoid injuries or for some reason suddenly loses it.
I don’t think you realize how hard it will be for him or mbappe to crack the top 15 list let alone a top 5.
Ronaldo and Messi are their because of the sheer dominance and level they were playing at. Ronaldo is their not just because of his goals but his sheer dominance on the ball. The moment he picked up the ball on the wing for United or Madrid the whole opposition team is scrambling back because he will blow1-2 guys in an instant. He would unleash strikes from 35 yards out like they were penalties.
Ronaldo and Messi have both the sheer numbers and trophies. 5 CL titles, all the balond D or, all the golden boots etc.
Haaland is very one dimensional and to his defence he is fecking brilliant in the box but he can never impact a game or change the game in any other way besides the 6 yard box. He does not have the ability to make the opposition team lose their heads trying to get back because he picked up the ball 50 yards away from goal.
Haaland can score and score effectively one way.
Ronaldo left foo, right foot, headed,distance, freekick, you name it he was fecking unplayable (Messi as well).
Their is a reason what both of these guys were doing in their prime was so breath taking because nobody has ever done it before. They pushed each other to the limit which is why they both get compared to the only two other “gods” in football. That is an extremely hard level to get too.
Mbappe and Haaland don’t have the same level of natural ability that either Ronaldo or Messi had at their absolute best and that’s ok and completely natural. They have everything to be two of the greatest players in the game but it would be an absolute feat to just crack the top 15.
You should go look at a top 15 and see the players on their just to get an idea of how far off these guys are….
The level Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi reached was only ever attained by two other guys in 100 years of football history and you mean to tell me Haaland or Mbappe will get their right away after those two guys leave the game?
No chance.
I know these guys are about to retire and people only remember the last few years but, you have realize how absolutely glitchy and broken Ronaldo and Messi were.
They own nearly every record and in their prime they reached a level that Mbappe and Haaland simply don’t have in them. If they broke top 15 I would be very surprised.
Neymar had more ability then both of these young bloood and look at how far he was off compared to the other two freaks of nature. Their are levels to this.