From unstoppable scorer to silent nights: what’s really happening with Erling Haaland in 2026?

He hasn’t run out of batteries, nor has there been any mechanical failure of any kind. Erling Haaland hasn’t become obsolete, nor does he need a reset or an update. What’s happened is simpler: the Norwegian striker is human, after all. Even if his numbers suggest otherwise. He made his Champions League debut with Salzburg in 2019 at 19, scoring a hat trick against Genk. He burst onto the scene in Austria before continuing to obliterate records at Borussia Dortmund. He became the youngest player to reach 50 goals in the competition, and the fastest to do so – in just 49 games.

He arrived at Manchester City in the 2022–23 season not as a prospect, but as a finished product. He proved it by breaking Alan Shearer’s record, becoming the player with the most goals in a single Premier League campaign – 36 – and the fastest to reach 50 in the competition. Again. He also surpassed a mark previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo, becoming the quickest player to score 100 goals for a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues, doing so in 105 games.

This season began along the same lines. Goals seemed to spill effortlessly from his boots. He scored with a ruthless ease and consistency – a nightmare for opponents, a delight for teammates. He netted 25 times between August and December across the Premier League and Champions League. But with the turn of the year, the well dried up. He has managed just five goals since the start of 2026. Haaland failed to show up in the League Cup semifinal against Newcastle, and by the time he appeared in the Champions League round of 16 against Real Madrid, the tie was already all but decided.

The Norwegian has a habit of fading in some of the biggest games, especially finals. City lifted the Carabao Cup last Sunday thanks to two goals from O’Reilly, who dismantled an Arsenal side that had dreamed of winning all four competitions. Haaland had just one attempt. His header in the 44th minute sailed over and never troubled Kepa. Finals do not seem to suit him – or perhaps he is not built for them. It was his ninth final with City across the League Cup, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and Community Shield. He has yet to score in any of them.

Haaland is not an infallible machine. He is human. But writing him off now would be premature. Even with a modest return since the new year, he remains the Premier League’s top scorer with 22 goals, three more than his closest challenger, Igor Thiago. He also continues to rank among the most prolific players in Europe’s top competition, with only Kylian Mbappé, Anthony Gordon, and Harry Kane scoring more.

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