Erling Haaland becomes the fastest player to reach 50 UEFA Champions League goals, hitting the mark in 49 games.
His record-breaking header helped Manchester City beat Napoli 2–0 at the Etihad Stadium.
Erling Haaland has written his name into football history, becoming the fastest player ever to score 50 goals in the UEFA Champions League, reaching the milestone in just 49 appearances.
The Norwegian striker achieved the feat during Manchester City’s 2–0 victory over Napoli at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.
Haaland broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, rising to meet a lofted pass from Phil Foden and heading firmly into the corner of the net.
The strike shattered the previous record held by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who reached 50 goals in 62 matches.
City doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Jeremy Doku slalomed into the box before firing past goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic to seal all three points.
Napoli’s night unraveled early after captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off in the first half for denying Haaland a clear goalscoring opportunity. Manager Antonio Conte was forced into a tactical reshuffle, overshadowing the emotional return of Kevin De Bruyne, who rejoined City this summer and received a rousing ovation from fans.
Before Haaland’s opener, City had created several chances, with Tijjani Reijnders and Rodri both drawing strong saves and Josko Gvardiol narrowly missing the target. Reijnders also went close with an audacious backward header.
The result gave Pep Guardiola’s men the perfect start to their Champions League campaign, with Haaland once again proving decisive on the big stage.
The 24-year-old has now taken his scoring feats to unprecedented heights, continuing a meteoric rise that has redefined European football’s goalscoring records.
