{
  "id": 11176504,
  "title": "Man United legend Stam picks Erling as world's best striker",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/man-united-legend-stam-picks-erling-as-worlds-best-striker",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-01T10:53:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2026/10/1545613/man-united-legend-stam-picks-erling-worlds-best-striker"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Kuala Lumpur, former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam has declared Erling Haaland as the world's current top striker. However, Stam also identified Brazilian legend Ronaldo as the most challenging forward he ever encountered. Speaking at the AllStar Legends media conference, the 54-year-old Dutch international made the assessment when comparing modern goalscorers to the great forwards of his era. Stam had no doubts about Haaland's superiority, stating that Haaland's scoring record and performance across different clubs and for his national team are impressive. Haaland's scoring record and performance across different clubs and for his national team are impressive. Nevertheless, Stam praised Ronaldo's unpredictability, which made him a formidable opponent to defend against. The two players first crossed paths at PSV Eindhoven, where a young Brazilian Ronaldo was playing up front. While Ronaldo was deemed the most difficult striker to mark, Stam also highlighted former Liverpool and England forward Michael Owen as another tough defender. The AllStar World Legends side, led by Stam alongside Alessandro Del Piero, Javier Saviola, Fernando Morientes, and former AC Milan goalkeeper Dida, will face the AllStar Premier Legends team, including Owen, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Steven Gerrard, and Ryan Giggs, in a 5v5 indoor contest. The match was moved indoors due to concerns over worsening haze and unpredictable weather in the Klang Valley.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam picked Erling Haaland as the world's current best striker, but named Brazilian icon Ronaldo as the toughest forward he ever faced.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}