A Record Under Threat

Fourteen years after Lionel Messi’s otherworldly 2011–12 campaign, football may be witnessing something just as extraordinary. This time, it’s Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker, who is scoring at a rate that threatens to eclipse the most remarkable season ever recorded by an individual player.

In that unforgettable year with Barcelona, Messi scored 73 goals for his club and 9 for Argentina, totaling 82 goals in 69 matches — an incredible average of 1.19 goals per game. His 50 league goals in LaLiga, 14 in the Champions League, and another 18 across cups and internationals remain unmatched benchmarks of consistency and brilliance.

Now, under the same manager who guided Messi that season — Pep Guardiola — Haaland appears determined to break a record many thought untouchable.

Haaland’s Terrifying Numbers

So far in the 2025–26 season, Haaland has already scored 28 goals: 19 for Manchester City (14 in the Premier League and 5 in the Champions League) and 9 for Norway (8 in World Cup qualifiers and 1 in a friendly).
That gives him an astonishing 1.55 goals per game, a rate that actually surpasses peak Messi. If sustained over a full campaign, Haaland could end the season with a staggering 106 goals for club and country.

However, to beat Messi’s 50 league goals, he must improve his current 1.27 goals per game average in the Premier League — which projects to 48 goals if he maintains this pace.

Guardiola has rested him in League Cup matches, but Haaland could feature later in the competition, as well as in potential FA Cup fixtures and up to 17 matches in the expanded Champions League format.

Can He Actually Break It?

In the best-case scenario, Haaland could feature in 65 to 74 matches this season — possibly even more than Messi’s 69 appearances in 2011–12. But staying fit and firing across such a grueling calendar will be a monumental challenge.

Right now, though, Haaland looks unstoppable: physically dominant, mentally focused, and relentlessly efficient in front of goal. If he maintains this level, he won’t just surpass Messi’s record — he could deliver the first 100-goal season in modern football history.

If anyone can do it, it’s Erling Haaland.