Erling Haaland has established himself as one of football’s best strikers.
The youthful prodigy identified the seven frontmen that were ahead of him in 2020.
One guy who isn’t even playing anymore and a Premier League failure were among Haaland’s names.
Erling Haaland was always expected to be one of the greatest attackers in international football, and he has definitely lived up to the hype since the beginning of his career. It is impossible to overstate the Norwegian’s skill in front of goal, regardless of your opinion of his general skill level.
His extraordinary work ethic helped him reach the top, and his diet and training schedule allowed him to stay in top physical shape. Then there is his unwavering will to excel, always striving to outperform all who come before him. In the year 2020, Haaland asserted that he was inferior to seven number nines. Five years later, it’s time to examine those players’ outcomes, including one Premier League failure.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Al-Nassr
The least unexpected addition. Less than three years before Haaland’s revelation, Cristiano Ronaldo had won his final Ballon d’Or, despite not being at the top of his game at the beginning of the decade. Prior to his tragic return to Manchester United, he had kept up his goal scoring for Juventus in Italy.
The Portuguese legend’s star power has caused a revolution in the Middle East, with many well-known figures following suit after he moved to Al-Nassr. The 40-year-old is playing significantly below his usual level as a result of the transition, but he is still scoring goals and solidifying his record as the player with the most professional goals in football history.
Sergio Aguero
Retired
Sergio Aguero’s 260 goals for Manchester City, which puts him above all others in the team’s 145-year history, is one milestone Haaland might want to surpass before his career finishes. Although he is already more than halfway there, the former Dortmund player still has a ways to go before eclipsing the Argentine’s history.
Aguero left the Etihad after ten years, a year after Haaland’s remarks, and joined international teammate Lionel Messi at Barcelona. The multi-time Premier League winner was forced to retire before the end of 2021 because it was discovered that the striker had a cardiac condition that made it difficult for him to breathe during a game.
Harry Kane
Bayern Munich
Practically speaking, out of all the players Haaland identified in 2020, Harry Kane is the only one who, five years after his comments, actually poses a danger to Haaland’s position as the King of Goals. Before starting a new journey with Bayern Munich, the England captain became Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer and performed regularly for the team.
Even though Kane has smashed countless Bundesliga records, he has yet to win a major trophy, but it appears like his drought will soon come to an end. In 2022, he also surpassed Wayne Rooney to become England’s all-time leading scorer.
Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona
Given his recent success at the Nou Camp, Robert Lewandowski, like Kane, may yet have a chance to claim that he is on par with Haaland. The 2023–24 season showed indications of a possible downturn for the Polish star, but under Hansi Flick, the Champions League winner seemed to have rediscovering his magic.
Even though his time at the top is coming to an end at age 36, the Catalan giants still have a lot of titles to win.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Al-Qadsiah
It’s also possible that Haaland’s remarks occurred around the same period that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was playing at his best. The Gabonese player demonstrated his skills for teams like Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, assisting Mikel Arteta in winning the FA Cup, the only title he has won as manager thus far.
Aubameyang’s performance quickly deteriorated when he was at Chelsea and Barcelona, and he would eventually be used as a scapegoat at the Emirates. The 35-year-old, who currently plays for Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia, is still the league’s leading scorer.
Roberto Firmino
Al-Ahli
Another well-known figure earning a living in Saudi Arabia, Haaland did something that was unusual at the time: he offered his flowers to Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian was grossly underappreciated while he was at Liverpool, and it’s safe to argue that without Firmino’s sacrifice, the Reds might not have had the same level of success under Jurgen Klopp.
Although Firmino was never a born goal scorer, he was a creative genius who adjusted his style of play to suit more effective attackers like Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. Additionally, he pressed hard from the front and didn’t hesitate to create spectacular plays like no-look passes or shots that even the boldest players would have missed.
Timo Werner
Tottenham
Indeed, this one has aged poorly. Timo Werner was at least somewhat more productive for RB Leipzig in Germany, but few would have ever ranked the German on par with Haaland. However, his subpar goal-scoring performance at Chelsea and Tottenham made him a laughing stock.
Werner’s two experiences in English football have left a lot to be desired, but the Champions League gold he earned with Chelsea might be enough to appease some detractors. There has never been a more pronounced class divide between him and the Manchester City forward.
