The Japan Times - Haaland, Kane and Mbappe battle to be Europe's best

Ahead of their return to Champions League action this week, the trio are already battling at the top of the charts to be the competition's top scorer and making the early running in a World Cup campaign for next year's Ballon d'Or.

AFP Sports looks at the astonishing stats all three strikers are producing for both club and country.

Erling Haaland (Man City and Norway)

Haaland's leads the way with 23 goals in 13 games to haul City back into contention for the Premier League and Norway to the brink of their first World Cup since 1998.

Only once has Haaland failed to find the net this season and he has struck in all of his last 11 matches.

The 25-year-old scored twice against Everton on Saturday to take his Premier League tally for the campaign to 11.

Haaland now boasts the three quickest occasions any Premier League player has reached 10 goals in a season after doing so in six matches in 2022 and five games last season.

"If you are building from scratch what you want as the ideal centre-forward, look at Haaland," said the Premier League's all-time top goalscorer Alan Shearer.

"He has goals, pace, strength, is good in the air. Doesn't mind being roughed up, it doesn't bother him if he doesn't have many touches. He is almost perfect."

Previously he has been questioned in his homeland for not reproducing his prolific club form for Norway.

Those complaints have been washed away as Haaland has struck 12 times in six qualifiers to finally take a golden generation towards his first major international tournament.

Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England)

Kane headed in his 22nd goal of the season to put Bayern on course for victory in Der Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The England captain has three goals in as many games for his country as the Three Lions became the first European team to qualify for the World Cup with a flawless qualifying record through six matches.

Kane has racked up incredible numbers since swapping his homeland for Bayern in 2023, even if it took until his second season to end a long wait to win a trophy.

The 32-year-old has 104 goals in 107 games for the German giants, including 19 in 11 at club level this season.

Bayern already look set to defend their Bundesliga title, making a first ever Champions League crown for Kane even more of a priority.

He has scored four times in wins over Chelsea and Pafos to begin their quest for European glory and will expect more when Club Brugge visit Bavaria on Wednesday.

Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid and France)

Mbappe's frustrating first few months following his dream move from Paris Saint-Germain last year are now long forgotten in the Spanish capital.

The Frenchman racked up 44 goals in 59 games across all competitions last season and adapted to playing as the central striker in Carlo Ancelotti's system.

Xabi Alonso has maintained Mbappe's position and the 26-year-old has been Madrid's key player during the opening weeks of the season.

Lightning quick, slick on the ball and capable of finishing lethally from outside the area, Mbappe has 15 goals in 11 matches between La Liga and the Champions League.

He is the Spanish top flight's leading goalscorer with 10, while netting five goals in just two Champions League appearances.

Mbappe has also netted three times for France this season in three appearances.

In only one of 14 appearances for club and country this season has Mbappe failed to find the net, and he has netted in his last 11 consecutive matches.

Mbappe has finished as his league's top scorer in each of the last seven seasons, six with PSG and then in his first year at Real Madrid.

K.Abe--JT