Jamie Carragher, speaking on CBS Sports, stated, "I cannot stop imagining Haaland scoring 1,000 goals or becoming the greatest goalscorer of all time." He added, "I have never seen anything similar in terms of goals and statistics. He scores in almost every match, but because he does it so often, these achievements sometimes do not feel particularly special."

The former England international believes Haaland is on track to break numerous records. "He just scored two goals away in the Champions League", Carragher noted. "For any other striker, that would be a fantastic evening. But for Haaland, it is simply normal. I cannot envision any scenario where he does not become the greatest goalscorer or achieve the highest number of goals we have ever witnessed."

Haaland celebrates with a slide after scoring in Manchester City's 2-0 win against Porto during the Champions League qualifying round on 8/9, in Porto, Portugal. *Photo: Man City*

Paul Merson, conversely, suggests Haaland's potential to reach 1,000 career goals hinges on his ability to sustain peak form and remain with a highly competitive team like Manchester City. The former Arsenal and England international explained that players often join lower-tier teams in the twilight of their careers, which diminishes their goal-scoring prospects. Thus, Haaland must continue playing alongside elite teammates for years to come.

Merson believes Haaland can sustain his high scoring rate, but reaching 1,000 goals requires him to maintain motivation, avoid injuries, and extend his top-level career for another six to seven years. He asserted that if Haaland remains with Manchester City for the next seven or eight years, he has a strong opportunity to achieve this milestone.

At Dragao stadium, Haaland's brace secured Manchester City's victory in their Champions League qualifying round opener. The Norwegian striker matched Sergio Aguero's club record for Champions League goals with 36. He also moved to third on Manchester City's all-time scoring list, with 167 goals in 203 appearances, trailing only Eric Brook (179 goals in 499 matches) and Aguero (260 goals in 390 matches).

Haaland boasts an impressive 59 goals from 59 Champions League appearances. This includes 42 goals in 39 group stage or qualifying round matches, the highest tally of any player since his debut in the 2019-2020 season. The Norwegian center-forward is now aiming for Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 140 goals in 183 Champions League matches.

Under new head coach Enzo Maresca, Haaland has scored 5 goals in 5 appearances across all competitions. Despite this, the 26-year-old striker expressed dissatisfaction, believing he could have scored more goals against Porto.

Sky Sports data indicates that a 1,000-career-goal milestone is within Haaland's reach. At 26 years and 49 days old, Haaland has amassed 364 professional goals. For comparison, Lionel Messi had 348 goals at the same age, while Cristiano Ronaldo had 219. This places Haaland 16 goals ahead of Messi and a significant 145 goals ahead of Ronaldo at comparable points in their careers.

Haaland requires 636 more goals to hit the 1,000 mark. His current scoring efficiency, however, suggests this ambitious milestone is far from unattainable.

Since joining Manchester City in 2022, Haaland has averaged approximately 51 goals annually for both club and country. Maintaining this rate could see him reach 1,000 goals by around 38 years and 8 months old. However, achieving such a feat demands not only remarkable scoring efficiency but also career longevity comparable to that of Ronaldo and Messi.

*Hong Duy (according to Sky Sports)*