‘Of course he’s at that level’ — Guardiola says Haaland is as good as Ronaldo and Messi

Pep Guardiola has boldly declared that Erling Haaland has reached the level of football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting the Manchester City goal machine belongs in the same rarefied space after yet another match-winning display.

The Norwegian star scored twice in City's 3-1 win over Bournemouth to take his tally to 17 goals this season, prompting his manager to reinforce just how special he believes the striker is.

Haaland’s blistering form has reignited debate over whether he can reach the heights of Messi and Ronaldo, and Guardiola did not hesitate to settle the argument from his perspective.

“Have you seen the numbers of that guy? Oh my god, of course he has reached their level,” Guardiola said, making the point that Haaland is producing output comparable to football’s greatest.

He continued, “The numbers from Cristiano and Messi have been for 15 years, Messi still scoring two, three goals every game in MLS and Cristiano in Saudi Arabia the same. This is that level.”

Guardiola explained that like Messi and Ronaldo, Haaland exerts “so big” an influence on matches, even though City can score without him, referencing their three-goal performance against Swansea in the EFL Cup.

Guardiola also highlighted the mentality that sets Haaland apart, praising his attitude and drive to improve. “The first goal, the way he shoot the ball, going down on the grass, it's like ‘I am going to score this’. It's top.”

He added, “He is incredibly coachable and I am tough with him sometimes on what he has to do better… He is completely down to earth, he wants to do it and he lives for the goals.”

While City’s midfield has struggled to contribute to the scoreline, with Haaland’s 13 Premier League goals far ahead of any teammate, Guardiola remains confident thanks to the Norwegian’s unstoppable scoring presence and the return of Omar Marmoush.

“Without him, it would be tough to be honest,” he admitted, underlining just how central Haaland has become to City’s title push and growing legacy.