There are records in football that feel untouchable, then there is Lionel Messi’s 91 goals in a single calendar year.
In 2012, Leo Messi went bonkers, and the record that he set has since been untouchable. Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, and even Erling Haaland all had their golden period, but they still could not come close.
But here’s the burning question: with Haaland’s ridiculous goalscoring rate, could he actually break Messi’s record? Let’s break it down.
How Lionel Messi scored 91 goals in 2012, and Can Haaland break it in 2026?
To understand if Haaland can do it, we first need to look at just how Messi managed it.
At 25 years old, Messi delivered a season of football that felt almost superhuman. He broke Gerd Müller’s long-standing record of 85 goals in a year and went nine beyond it. What made it insane was not just the total, but the consistency.
- Goals per minute: Messi averaged a goal every 66 minutes.
- Breakdown: 79 goals for Barcelona, 12 for Argentina.
- Scoring pattern: He scored in 60 matches and failed to find the net in only 21 across the year.
Messi’s record wasn’t about a single purple patch. It was about relentless scoring, month after month. From five goals in one Champions League night against Bayer Leverkusen, to hat-tricks against Brazil and Switzerland, to crucial strikes in Clasicos and qualifiers, Messi simply never stopped.
And the variety stood out, too. While most of his goals came inside the penalty box, he sprinkled in free kicks, chips, and even headers, reminding the world that he could score in every way possible.
The challenge wasn’t only physical but mental. Messi kept scoring despite Barcelona losing La Liga to Real Madrid and bowing out of the Champions League to Chelsea. Even disappointment couldn’t slow him down.
What makes Erling Haaland a contender
Now, fast forward to today. If there is one player who looks remotely capable of chasing 91 goals, it’s Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian has already proven that he’s built differently. A pure No. 9 with terrifying strength, speed, and clinical finishing, Haaland has scored at a pace English football has rarely seen.
- He opened the current season with 6 goals in 5 Premier League games, which, crazy as it sounds, is being called his “slow start.”
- For Norway, he began the year by scoring 5 goals in one match against Moldova, becoming the only player besides Messi to have scored five in both a Champions League game and an international fixture.
This shows exactly why Haaland is a genuine threat to records. When he’s in form, the numbers he can rack up in a single game are absurd.
How many matches could Haaland play in a year?
To break Messi’s record, opportunities matter just as much as finishing ability. Let’s do the math.
If Manchester City reach the final of every competition, and Norway play a full schedule of qualifiers and friendlies, Haaland could play up to 75 games in 2026.
- Premier League: 38 games
- Champions League: 15–17 games
- FA Cup: 6 games
- League Cup: 6 games
- International matches: around 10 games (excluding the FIFA World Cup)
That’s roughly the same number of games Messi had in 2012.
Now, Haaland’s current strike rate for City is around 1.16 goals per game, with 7 goals in his first 6 matches of the season. If he maintains that pace over 75 matches, he could theoretically reach 87 goals in 2026. That’s frighteningly close to Messi’s 91, but still a little short. To actually break the record, Haaland would need to raise his average slightly, pushing closer to 1.2 goals per game across the whole year.
Where Messi still stands apart
But here’s the catch: Haaland’s style, while effective, is dependent on service. Messi in 2012 didn’t just finish moves; he created them. He could drop deep, dribble, and score out of nowhere. That independence meant he could score against anyone, no matter the system.
Also, Messi’s consistency was freakish. He didn’t just score hat-tricks in one game and then blank in the next five. He scored in almost every match. For Haaland, who can sometimes be quiet when defenders sit deep, matching that level of regularity is the hardest part.
Also, a very important part was fitness; Messi stayed fit for almost the whole year. Haaland was struggling with injuries last season.
So, can Haaland break it?
Mathematically, yes. If he plays 70–75 matches and keeps his scoring rate above a goal per game, Haaland could get close.
But realistically, Messi’s 91-goal year looks safe for now. Haaland might finish with 60 or even 70 in a freakish season, but 91 requires something more; it requires not just a striker, but an unstoppable footballing force.
Messi in 2012 was not just scoring goals; he was rewriting what was humanly possible on a football pitch.
Conclusion
Erling Haaland is already on pace to challenge records we thought were untouchable. If anyone in today’s game can dream of chasing Messi’s 91 goals, it’s him. But that number wasn’t built just on finishing; it was built on genius, consistency, and magic that went beyond numbers.
Haaland may one day give it a real push. But for now, Messi’s 91 remains football’s Mount Everest; visible, inspiring, but still far out of reach.
