Is a new era upon us?
On Tuesday night, Norway nearly made history with a stunning 11-1 victory over Moldova, just one goal shy of the largest win in European World Cup qualifying history. The single goal from the struggling visitors meant Norway’s performance tied for second place alongside North Macedonia’s 11-1 triumph over Liechtenstein in 1996, behind Germany’s 12-0 defeat of Cyprus in 1969. Nonetheless, there was a lot to celebrate.
Unsurprisingly, star striker Erling Haaland was a key player, scoring five goals during the match. This remarkable performance places him second only to Hans Krankl, who netted six times in a single European qualifying match for Austria. Haaland’s tally now stands at an impressive 48 goals in 45 games across all competitions for Norway.
Haaland’s exceptional scoring rate has not only set several records for the national team but also poses a challenge to the legacies of previous global icons. Not only is he scoring at an extraordinary pace for a Norwegian player, but he is also eyeing Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarkable record for the most international goals in the history of football.
Comparing Haaland’s and Ronaldo’s International Records
A look at both players’ international records reveals Ronaldo’s impressive accomplishment of 119 goals in 169 competitive matches for Portugal, showcasing not just his goal-scoring prowess but also his longevity—a trait few players in football match. In stark contrast, Haaland just surpassed the 30-game milestone for competitive matches last year, amassing 33 goal contributions since then, and recently adding nine goals in just five additional matches. While he may lag behind in total matches played, Haaland’s scoring rate is higher; he averages 1.19 goals every 90 minutes compared to Ronaldo’s 0.74.
Examining their first 30 matches for their national teams helps highlight their differences. Ronaldo scored 15 goals and provided 10 assists in his first 30 games, a reflection of his early career as a winger. He racked up 25 goal contributions, yet this is outdone by Haaland’s impressive 33 contributions during his initial 30 matches for Norway.
Can Haaland Surpass Ronaldo’s Goal-Scoring Record?
Haaland has indeed had a stronger start to his international scoring career than Ronaldo, but can he catch up to the Portuguese great? To do so, he needs to net 117 more competitive international goals. With his current average of 1.19 goals per 90 minutes, he could potentially break Ronaldo’s record within 66 additional international matches. Given that Norway has averaged about eight competitive matches per year since Haaland debuted, it suggests it could take roughly another nine years to reach that milestone. This timeline would require Haaland to maintain his scoring momentum well into his mid-30s, similar to Ronaldo’s career longevity.
However, there are caveats. While Haaland excels in World Cup qualifiers and Nations League matches against lesser teams, he has yet to appear in a major tournament. If Norway qualifies for a World Cup or Euros in the near future, this would increase the number of games available for Haaland to score, but it might also challenge his scoring pace against stronger competition. After all, achieving a hat trick against teams like Kazakhstan or Moldova is considerably easier than finding the net against Germany, Argentina, or Spain in knockout matches.
With 22 goals in 52 matches in major tournaments, Ronaldo has shown he can score consistently, boasting an average of 1.06 goals per 90 minutes in tournament play. For Haaland to match Ronaldo’s record, he must first aid Norway in qualifying for their first major tournament since 2000, and once there, he will need to maintain his goal-scoring abilities at the same level as Ronaldo in the past two decades.
