Erling Haaland makes bold claim during Golden Boot race with Mbappe and Kane: ‘I didn’t score enough goals’

Erling Haaland has become one of the frontrunners for the period 2025-2026 Golden Boot after one of the strongest starts of his career, which brought him alongside Harry Kane And Kylian Mbappe in the race for Europe’s highest individual scoring honor. After breaking his most recent goal drought, the Manchester City striker made a blunt assessment of his form: “I didn’t score enough goals.“

After equaling his own tally of ten or more goals in his first eight Premier League games, Haaland has struggled to consistently find the net in recent weeks. After his goal against Brighton on January 7, the Norwegian did not return to the scoresheet until February 8when he scored against Liverpool four games later.

With just two Premier League goals in 2026 and one in the Champions League, Haaland addressed his scoresheet while speaking to reporters in the mixed zone: “I haven’t scored enough goals since the start of the year, you could say, and I know I have to improve. I know I need to be sharper and better at this, and this is something I need to work on.“

Manchester City have played 12 games in all competitions since the start of the year, with Haaland featuring in all competitions but finding the net just three times. Remarkably, both of his Premier League goals in that period came from the penalty spot his last open play goal came on December 20, when he scored twice against West Ham United.

Although he declined to go into detail about the reasons behind his dip in form, Haaland pointed to the physical demands of the schedule. “It’s a lot of games. Look at the schedule, it’s not easy, and for me it’s about staying fit and not getting injured. That’s the most important thing. And try to be ready to help the team,‘, as City averaged just over three days between matches over a 38-day period.

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With his goal against Liverpool Haaland has now taken his personal tally to 41 goals in 40 games in all competitions for Manchester City and the Norwegian national team. Despite these eye-catching figures, the striker made it clear that he remains dissatisfied and is determined to raise his level as 2026 progresses.

How is the Golden Boot Race going so far?

Kylian Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot in the 2024/25 season, his first year at Real Madrid, and remains in contention to repeat the feat. However, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, both previous winners, are determined to prevent the French star from claiming the prize in consecutive seasons.

Harry Kane is currently leading the race after scoring 24 goals in 21 Bundesliga games, ranking first with 48 points according to the league’s scoring system. Mbappé is second with 23 goals in 23 La Liga games for Real Madrid, earning a total of 46 points Haaland rounds out the top three with 21 goals from 25 Premier League games, earning him 42 points.

Behind the leading trio is Brentford striker Igor Thiagowho scored 17 Premier League goals but remains some distance behind the top candidates. With more than half of the 2025-2026 season still to play, the Golden Boot the race remains wide open.