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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that he would not swap his striker Erling Haaland for any other player in the world, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He believes that other managers would pick the two superstars or Kylian Mbappe, but he would stick with his star player.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Premier League clash against Manchester United, Guardiola stated that Haaland is the best striker in the world and that no other forward is on his level. He was replying to comments from Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who claimed Alexander Isak is the best in the world. He said (via GOAL):
"Erling is a little bit above. Isak is an exceptional player. But you asked me about Erling, and he is top. Isak must be a top player because of what they paid. It's a game of opinions. Another one would say [Kylian] Mbappe, [Lionel] Messi, Cristiano [Ronaldo]… I wouldn't change Erling for anyone. I know him. I like him."
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It was not the first time Guardiola heaped praise on Haaland and compared him to Messi and Ronaldo. He claimed that the Manchester City star was on par with the superstars of the game and said in 2024 (via GOAL):
"He has the numbers for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who controlled the last decade, 15 years, absolutely everything. In terms of numbers, it is that level. So, I don't know how he does it, but in 100 games scoring 91 goals is something in the Premier League. In this country, it is unbelievable."
Erling Haaland has played 149 matches under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, scoring 127 goals and assisting 25 times
Pep Guardiola comments on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester City manager spoke about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in October 2024, claiming that the Argentine was better than the Portuguese superstar. He claimed that the duo have been better than all others in the world of football for over 15 years and added that it was the reason why players like Xavi and Andres Iniesta did not win the Ballon d'Or.
He said (via GOAL):
"Messi, nobody could beat him. Just Cristiano. Cristiano was a monster, and the father of the monster is Messi. And both have done something incredible in the last 15 or 20 years. And maybe in that moment, Xavi and Iniesta deserved the Ballon d’Or as well."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won 13 Ballon d'Or between them. The Inter Miami captain has won it eight times, with the latest coming in 2023, while the Al-Nassr forward has won it five times in his career.
