Erling Haaland sets unprecedented record in UEFA Champions League history

15 October 2026, 12:54·60·Sport

In the general stage of the UEFA Champions League, although Manchester City lost 2:4 at home to PSG, the Norwegian goalscorer of the "Citizens", Erling Haaland, opened a new page in the history of the continent's premier club competition.

Scoring two goals against the Parisians, the striker broke the long-standing record held by the legendary Lionel Messi as the youngest and most prolific player in tournament history.

Messi's record becomes history: A one-day difference

According to official UEFA data, Haaland has become the youngest player to break the 60-goal barrier in the competition:

Haaland's achievement: The Norwegian star was only 26 years and 85 days old when he celebrated his 60th goal in the tournament;
One-day advantage over Messi: The previous historical record holder, Lionel Messi, was 26 years and 86 days old when he crossed the 60-goal milestone wearing the Barcelona jersey. Thus, Haaland managed to surpass the Argentine genius's record by exactly 1 day.

Fantastic statistics: More goals than matches

Erling Haaland's efficiency in the Champions League remains astonishingly high for modern football:

The leader who scored more goals than matches: Currently, Haaland has managed to score 61 goals in a total of 60 appearances in the UCL — which means an average of more than 1 goal per match;
7th place in the historical ranking: Thanks to this result, the Norwegian forward has climbed to the 7th position in the list of all-time top scorers in the Champions League.

Situation in the overall top scorers race

Lionel Messi still occupies lofty heights in the table of the tournament's most prolific scorers:

Messi's overall standing: The Argentine star firmly occupies 2nd place in the overall top scorers ranking, having scored 129 goals in 163 matches played in the Champions League;
Haaland's next goal: Reaching 61 goals already at the age of 26, Haaland's fierce pace makes him the main contender to eventually catch up to the absolute records of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.