Football fans around the world always ponder the hardest question: who will succeed the Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the Juventus striker, upon his retirement? There are speculations about the ability of Norwegian star Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund's striker, to achieve this challenging feat in the history of football.
Haaland's name has frequently been associated with many of Europe’s top clubs dreaming of acquiring the explosive talent from the German league, with Real Madrid and Chelsea being some of the most notable.
**Market Value**
According to "Transfermarkt," the market value of the Norwegian talent is €130 million, placing him second behind French player Kylian Mbappé of Paris Saint-Germain, who tops the list with a value of €160 million.
**Future Talent**
Haaland first emerged through the Norwegian club Bryne, but his talent shone during his time at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, where he participated in 27 matches and scored 29 goals, averaging 1.1 goals per match.
His impressive performances at Red Bull Salzburg made him a prime target for Borussia Dortmund in the 2019-2020 season, where he transferred for €20 million. Overall, the 21-year-old Haaland has played 168 matches across various competitions with Borussia Dortmund, scoring 124 goals, including 24 in the UEFA Champions League.
**Who Will Succeed Ronaldo?**
Many sports analysts believe that Haaland has the potential to succeed the legendary Ronaldo on the football field due to his immense scoring abilities, physical fitness, and young age of just 21.
Global football analyst Mohammed Al-Damntawe expressed his thoughts on Haaland's performance with the German club in special statements to "Sky News Arabia." He stated, "Haaland is undoubtedly one of the top strikers in the world over the past two seasons. He is a rapidly rising forward, delivering extraordinary performance with the Black and Yellow, and capable of scoring goals from minimal opportunities."
The sports analyst continued, "He is a strong striker with very high physical fitness, in addition to his young age. I believe he will continue to be one of the distinguished players for many years to come, thanks to his high goal-scoring ability."
He added, "If Haaland moves to Real Madrid or Barcelona, he will greatly enhance the capabilities of the Spanish giants and their history, as it is natural for both clubs to sign 'super' players, and Haaland is indeed an exceptional player."
Regarding Haaland's ability to succeed Ronaldo, the sports analyst mentioned, "It is difficult to say that a particular player will be able to break Ronaldo’s records, as each era has its special features and style, just like previously with Maradona and Ronaldinho, Messi and Ronaldo, and in the future, Mbappé and Haaland. However, Ronaldo remains Ronaldo."
Al-Damntawe concluded by stating, "Haaland and Mbappé will break many records set by the duo Messi and Ronaldo, and we will see a very strong partnership between the two stars, but Messi remains Messi and Ronaldo will always be Ronaldo. There will not be a distinctive duo like that of the Argentine and Portuguese stars, which lasted for over 10 years."
