Erling Haaland before a Man City game
Erling Haaland has been tipped to become the highest scorer in football history.
The Manchester City striker has already scored five goals in all competitions this season.
Erling Haaland celebrates scoring for Manchester City against Porto4
Haaland has been backed to become football's all-time leading scorer
His latest strikes, a brace against Porto on Tuesday, have seen the 26-year-old tipped to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo's scoring feats.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently the all-time leading scorer in the history of the sport with 979 goals for club and country.
Haaland's Champions League double has taken his career tally to 364 goals in 440 matches, with Ronaldo having played 890 more times.
Haaland backed to become all-time great
talkSPORT's Darren Bent believes the Norway forward can go on to make history, though.
Speaking on Drive alongside Andy Goldstein, he admitted: "There’s definitely an argument to say that he could be one of the greatest natural goalscorers we’ve ever seen. His numbers are just crazy."
Bent added: "I know a lot of players that get so bogged down by touches, getting involved and needing to feel it. He does not care if he touches the ball in a game 10 times."
Ronaldo, who turns 42 in February, is set to retire next summer with this season earmarked as his last in professional football.
In order to overtake his goal tally, Haaland would have to score 39 goals a season for 16 years if he was to play until he was 42.
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However, Bent is concerned longevity could be the only factor that stops him from making history.
The former England international explained: "The only thing that will stop him being the greatest goalscorer of all-time is longevity.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after Al Nassr's match against Abha4
Ronaldo's record tally currently stands at 973 goals in 1,330 matches for club and country
"If he gets injured or something because he has had his injury problems.
"I’m not quite sure he’s as durable as (Cristiano) Ronaldo. Ronaldo would just go season upon season upon season."
Haaland has previously faced ankle issues amongst other injuries in his career.
His longest absence for City since joining the club in 2022 saw him miss just 10 matches between December 2023 and January 2024, though.
Can Haaland surpass Ronaldo?
When told how many goals Haaland must score per season to overtake Ronaldo, Bent replied: "There’s no reason why he can’t do that. There’s no reason why he can’t, he’s got everything.
"He’s not bothered about touches. All he cares about is that (scoring) and I really respect him.
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"The biggest compliment I can give him, other than him being fantastic, is that he’s always ready for when that chance comes.
"The amount of times a striker will miss an opportunity and we go, ‘he wasn’t ready for that’. That never happens to Haaland. Or we go, ‘that’s come too early for him’.
"He almost prides himself on ‘it doesn’t really matter’, minute one or minute 90, whenever it may be, I might not touch the ball for 25 minutes, when that chance comes that’s what I’ve been brought in for. To finish off these chances.
"I just think he’s been phenomenal ever since he made his debut."
Haaland's scoring feats
Haaland has already scored 167 goals in 203 appearances for City across the last four years.
Of those 115 have been in the Premier League, with Haaland the quickest player ever to reach a century of goals in the competition.
Erling Haaland receives the man of the match award after Manchester City's win over Porto4
Haaland's brace against Porto has taken his career total to 364 goals in 440 games
The three-time golden boot also has a goal-a-game record in the Champions League with 59 in 59 for City, Borussia Dortmund and Red Bull Salzburg.
His scoring figures at international level are even more impressive, though.
Haaland has 62 goals in 55 caps for Norway since making his debut as a 19-year-old in 2019.
Those include seven goals at this summer's World Cup as he fired his nation to the quarter-finals.