Erling Haaland is widely regarded as one of the most physically dominant footballers in the world, combining his 1.95m frame with remarkable speed. While the Manchester City striker is best known for his lethal finishing and strength, his pace is another weapon that has helped make him one of the game’s most feared forwards.

As highlighted by GIVEMESPORT, Haaland’s top recorded speed reached an incredible 36.9 km/h during the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season, according to UEFA data. More recently, he clocked 36.20 km/h in Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal on April 19. Those figures place him among football’s quickest players, but how do they compare with the Premier League’s fastest stars and elite athletes from other sports?

Haaland’s pace compared to the Premier League’s fastest

As GIVEMESPORT noted, Opta has tracked sprint speeds in the Premier League since the start of the 2020/21 season, providing an accurate comparison of the competition’s quickest players. Although Haaland ranks among the fastest, he does not hold the league’s all-time record.

The fastest speeds recorded in the Premier League since 2020/21 are:

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• Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur): 37.38 km/h (vs Brentford, January 31, 2024)

• Kyle Walker (Manchester City): 37.31 km/h (vs Everton, May 14, 2023)

• Jackson Tchatchoua (Wolverhampton Wanderers): 37.30 km/h (August 30, 2025)

• Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur): 37.23 km/h (vs Newcastle, April 13, 2024)

• Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur): 37.12 km/h (vs Manchester United, September 29, 2024)

According to GIVEMESPORT, Walker’s achievement is particularly impressive given he recorded his top speed at 32 years old. Eight of the 10 fastest Premier League sprint speeds since Opta began tracking have been produced by players aged between 21 and 24, with Walker and Chiedozie Ogbene the only exceptions.

GIVEMESPORT also pointed out that wide players typically dominate these rankings due to the nature of their roles. Haaland is the only natural centre-forward to feature among the Premier League’s fastest players during the 2025/26 season, underlining just how unique his athletic profile is.

How Haaland compares to the world’s fastest athletes

Looking beyond football, Haaland remains among the quickest elite athletes, although other sports regularly produce even higher sprint speeds.

Former Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé has reportedly reached 38.00 km/h, narrowly surpassing Haaland’s best recorded speed.

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Athletes from rugby, American football and Australian Rules Football have produced even faster figures:

• Oleg Markov (AFL): 37.4 km/h

• Tyreek Hill (NFL): 37.4 km/h

• Jonny May (Rugby Union): 37.8 km/h

• Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Rugby Union): 37.8 km/h

• Gary Rohan (AFL): 37.8 km/h

• Charlie Comben (AFL): 37.8 km/h

• Perry Baker (Rugby Sevens): 40.3 km/h

• Marcos Moneta (Rugby Sevens): 40.3 km/h

• Carlin Isles (Rugby Sevens): 41.4 km/h

At the very top sits Usain Bolt, who reached a staggering 44.72 km/h during his 100m world-record run in 2009.

As GIVEMESPORT explained, footballers rarely have the opportunity to reach their true maximum speed during matches. Sprinting at full pace generally requires 30-40 metres of uninterrupted acceleration, while most in-game sprints are shorter than 20 metres and occur in crowded situations.

That means Haaland’s fastest recorded speeds may not represent his absolute limit. Even so, his ability to combine elite pace with extraordinary strength and clinical finishing is one of the key reasons he remains one of the most complete and devastating strikers in world football.

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