Austria’s head coach, Ralf Ragnick, believes that Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has surpassed Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe as the best striker in the world.
Haaland’s outstanding performance at the beginning of the 2024-25 season, where he scored seven goals in three Premier League matches and tallied 38 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions last season, has solidified Ralf Rangnick’s claim.
Conversely, Mbappe has faced scrutiny after his lackluster display at Euro 2024 with France and a slow start in La Liga.
Before Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria in the UEFA Nations League, Coach Ragnick said: “Until a few months ago, I would have said that [Haaland] and Mbappe were the best strikers in the world. At the moment, I think Haaland is the best, but that is also because Kylian is not in top form.
“[Haaland] hardly has any weaknesses. For his size, he is extremely fast, agile, and has incredible jumping power.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have been pleasantly surprised by the unique qualities that Kylian Mbappe brings to the team.
The club successfully secured Mbappe’s services as a free agent this summer after an extensive pursuit.
Since joining Real Madrid from PSG, Mbappe has showcased a mixed performance, scoring on his debut in the UEFA Super Cup but experiencing a three-match goal drought at the beginning of the league campaign.
However, he demonstrated his potential by scoring a brace against Real Betis in La Liga.
According to a club source, Mbappe’s start in Spain has been an expected period of adaptation within a revamped team, indicating that while it hasn’t been flawless, it is also not a cause for concern.
The source told The Athletic that Mbappe is gradually finding his place in the team amidst the significant changes.
“Has it been as idyllic as reported? No, but it hasn’t been a tragedy or something to worry about either”, the source said.
“It’s as you would expect: an adaptation to a team that has changed a lot and in which he has to find his place. And he is finding it.”
