Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé in the Champions League: Stats, how they compare with Messi and Ronaldo, who's faster

Cristiano Ronaldo's departure to Saudi Arabia at the start of 2023 signalled the end of an era: a termination of the great rivalry between the Portuguese and Lionel Messi that has shaped the UEFA Champions League over 15 years.

Now Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are the new heavyweights, the two having taken the Champions League by storm since they made their competition debuts in 2016 and 2019 respectively, rewriting the record books right from the off.

Haaland, still just 24, is already joint 17th in the list of all-time European Cup scorers while Mbappé, 25, is joint tenth and brought his half-century in the competition on Matchday 6 in 2024/25.

They have each changed clubs along the way. Mbappé helped Monaco to the semi-finals in his debut season and racked up the goals for Paris Saint-Germain before his summer move to Real Madrid, for whom he scored on his Champions League debut. Haaland has played in the competition for Salzburg, Dortmund and now Manchester City.

Of course, only one has won a Champions League so far. Mbappé was a losing finalist in 2020 and has also twice reached the last four; Haaland, meanwhile, lifted the famous trophy with City in the 2022/23 campaign.

The debate over who is better already rages, and while it is not our place to decide we have laid out their Champions League achievements to help you make an informed decision.

• Haaland's Champions League stats
• Mbappé's Champions League stats

Youngest to landmark goals

Mbappé was just 17 when he made his Champions League debut as a late substitute for Monaco against Leverkusen on 27 September 2016. He scored on his first start in the competition (and seven of his first eight starts), in the remarkable 5-3 defeat at Manchester City in the 2016/17 round of 16 first leg. Mbappé was eight days off his 19th birthday when he became the youngest player ever to reach ten Champions league goals.

The Frenchman also surpassed Messi as the youngest man to reach 20, 30 and 40 goals, though Haaland has since lowered each of those marks. The Norway striker was 19 when he became the first and so far only player to score a first-half hat-trick on his Champions League debut, in a 6-2 win against Genk on 17 September 2019. Within 18 months he was already up to 20 goals.

By the time they turned 21, Haaland and Mbappé had 20 and 19 Champions League goals respectively. The only other man to reach double figures was Karim Benzema, with 12; Messi had struck eight, Ronaldo zero.

*record

Fastest to milestone goals (games played)

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Mbappé and Haaland: By season

Either Messi or Ronaldo finished with at least a share of the Champions League top scorer prize for 12 successive seasons before Robert Lewandowski broke the spell in 2019/20. Haaland was top scorer the following campaign ahead of Mbappé, becoming the youngest ever to take that title aged just 20.

Mbappé or Haaland: Who's faster?

Mbappé was clocked at 38km/h in a Ligue 1 match for Paris against former side Monaco in 2019 – for reference, when Usain Bolt broke the 100m record a decade earlier his average speed was 37.58km/h. Haaland runs the Frenchman close, though, having been recorded running 36.3km/h in the Bundesliga.

Mbappé also had the edge in the Champions League last season, reaching a top speed of 36.1km/h compared to Haaland's 34.6km/h.

Head-to-head meetings

Mbappé and Haaland have met twice in the Champions League, in the 2019/20 round of 16. Two Haaland goals inspired Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Paris, with Mbappé teeing up Neymar's reply. Haaland was frustrated in the return, though, as Paris stormed back to win the tie 3-2 on aggregate. Mbappé, who had a knock, came on as a late substitute to see the game out and lead the celebrations.

Haaland on Mbappé, Mbappé on Haaland

Haaland in 2022: "I don't like to compare myself with others. I think you need to be your own player. The media has been doing that [comparing top players] with Ronaldo and Messi for the last ten years and they've been pushing each other as well. I think it's been a positive thing."

Mbappé in 2022: "It's the beginning for him. I'm happy for him, for what he's doing. However, I didn't just play up front; I played left and right. In all modesty, I don't think anyone is capable of changing a position like that every year and maintaining a great performance at the highest level."

The pair ahead of their meeting in 2020Getty Images