Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker, has been handed a stern reality check by football legend Wayne Rooney, who believes neither Haaland nor Kylian Mbappe will ever reach the heights of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. This comes as City’s season continues to unravel, with the defending Premier League champions struggling to even secure a top-five finish.
City’s campaign has been a stark contrast to their usual dominance. Just a year after lifting the Premier League title for the fourth time in a row, Pep Guardiola’s men find themselves in sixth place, desperately clinging to hopes of Champions League qualification. With two games remaining, the gap to second-placed Arsenal is three points, while Newcastle United and Chelsea are also ahead in the race.
The struggles didn’t stop there. City’s FA Cup dreams were dashed on Saturday as they fell 1-0 to Crystal Palace at Wembley. Despite being the reigning champions, they couldn’t find a way past a resilient Palace side, with Eberechi Eze’s first-half strike proving decisive. Adding insult to injury, striker Omar Marmoush missed a crucial penalty in the first half, a moment that left fans and pundits baffled.
Rooney, who has seen his fair share of epic battles between Messi and Ronaldo, pointed to this incident as proof that Haaland lacks the ruthless edge that defines the two all-time greats. Speaking on BBC Sport, the Manchester United legend said, “Erling Haaland is a world-class forward, but when we’re talking about Messi and Ronaldo, there’s no way they’re giving that penalty away. That’s what separates those two from Haaland and Mbappe. Messi and Ronaldo are selfish—they want to score every game.”
Rooney also suggested that Haaland’s confidence has taken a hit after a string of missed opportunities. “When he misses chances, you can see it gets to him. It affects his performance,” he added.
Guardiola, however, defended his team, saying, “We didn’t discuss the penalty after the game. It’s a moment for the players to decide. As for Omar, he took a bit too long, which added pressure, and the goalkeeper made a good save.”
As City’s season hangs in the balance, the spotlight remains firmly on Haaland. Can he rediscover the form that made him a household name, or will his struggles continue to overshadow his undeniable talent? Only time will tell.
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