The future Goat: Kylian Mbappé vs Erling Haaland as per 5 stats

Who is the future GOAT?

Already touted as the future of world football, two incredibly talented youngsters, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, are already making the charts on a consistent basis when it comes to match-day performances.

For nearly two decades, the most heated topic of discussion among football fans has been about choosing the best between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The two football icons, who are still going strong in their mid-thirties, can brag about their tremendous club and international numbers and have already gone on to be considered the best ever to have played the game.

There are several names among the younger generation of players who have already established themselves as the top picks every match week. The two favorites who have consistently erupted the stadium among them are undoubtedly Kylian Mbappe of France and Erling Haaland of Norway. It is reasonable to assume that Mbappe and Haaland are now vying to become the next big names in football.

So, between the two show-stoppers of football, who fares better when it comes to statistics?

In short, who is most likely to become the future GOAT based on the numbers between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland?

Club Goals

Kylian Mbappe	Seasons	Erling Haaland
4	2015/16	0
26	2016/17	4
21	2017/18	12
39	2018/19	5
30	2019/20	44
42	2020/21	41
46	2021/22	30
11	2022/23	19
219	Total	156

The 2015–16 season marked the beginning of the senior careers of both stars. Haaland played for the Norwegian team Bryne, while Mbappe represented Monaco in Ligue 1.

The season in which the French forward scored 46 goals for Ligue 1 powerhouse PSG was 2021–2022 which is his season with the most goals. He looks sharp this year, too, and seems to emulate his performance of the last year. 

The season in which Haaland scored the most goals—44—was 2019–20 for RB Salzburg and Dortmund. Haaland recently has been phenomenal in his Premier League Debut, scoring at an incredible rate for Manchester City.

Club Assists

Kylian Mbappe	Seasons	Erling Haaland
3	2015/16	0
14	2016/17	1
15	2017/18	4
17	2018/19	1
18	2019/20	10
11	2020/21	12
26	2021/22	8
0	2022/23	3
104	Total	39

Scoring goals alone does not make a player a contender for the GOAT. One also needs a vision of a playmaker and to measure that there is nothing better than to see how one makes assists. It is also a parameter that many sports pundits miss while discussing “the best player ever to play the sport of football.”

When we see the data of assists, again, it is  Mbappe who has a significant advantage over Haaland over their entire career. Over 100 assists have come from the boots of the Frenchman in just eight seasons, with the season of last year being the most phenomenal when he was able to notch that number up to 12.

In comparison, the Norwegian forward had his most assists in a single season to date, with 12, in the 2020/21 campaign.

International Games

Kylian Mbappe	Stat	Erling Haaland
59	Games	23
28	Goals	21

Mbappe made his debut for France in international competition in 2017, and one year later, he helped Les Bleus win the World Cup, undoubtedly the pinnacle of his career.

On the other side, Haaland made his international debut in 2019, although he has not yet had the opportunity to show his caliber at a major sporting competition of football.

Club Trophies

Kylian Mbappe	Trophies	Erling Haaland
5	League titles	2
7	Cup competitions	2
–	European trophies	–

Five league trophies and seven significant knockout matches have been won by Kylian Mbappe thus far in his career. Four of the five league championships were won by PSG and one by Monaco.

Two major cup events and two league championships have been won by Haaland. Haaland and Red Bull Salzburg won the league championships in Austria.

International trophies

Kylian Mbappe	Trophies	Erling Haaland
1	World Cup	–
–	Europs	–
1	UEFA Nations League	–

Haaland’s national side is Norway, while Mbappe represents France. The latter’s national side is one of the strongest teams to play in the international circuit.

Along with taking France to a victory in the UEFA Nations League in the 2020-21 season, he has also been a part of the 2018 World Cup team.