Erling Haaland outshines Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to set new international goalscoring record
By Jonny Bray
Updated 12/10/2025 at 23:53 GMT+1
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Erling Haaland has outperformed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to set a new goal-scoring record in international football. The Norway and Manchester City star broke the record after scoring a hat-trick in his side's 5-0 win against Israel. Norway are hoping to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1998, and they are currently top of their group above Italy.
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Erling Haaland is no stranger to breaking records, and he made history once again during Norway’s 5-0 win against Israel on Saturday.
The Manchester City striker scored a hat-trick in the UEFA World Cup Qualifier to maintain his side’s healthy lead at the top of Group I.
In a bizarre turn of events, Haaland could have scored four, but he missed two attempts at the same penalty in the first half.
Norway are now six points clear of Italy in the race to reach next year’s FIFA World Cup, but their closest rivals for automatic qualification do have a game in hand.
Haaland has been a key player for Norway since his international debut in 2019, and his three finishes against Israel saw him pass a half-century of international goals, taking him to 51 in total.
Haaland’s new record
The 25-year-old has reached the milestone in 46 games, which is faster than any other player in the history of international football.
For context, it took Lionel Messi 107 games to reach the landmark, and 114 for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Haaland’s first goal against Israel made it 2-0 in the 27th minute.
It was 3-0 shortly after when Idan Nachmias scored an own goal, and the Norwegian striker wrapped up a convincing win with finishes in the 63rd and 72nd minutes.
Haaland’s hat-trick will come as no surprise to fans of the Premier League.
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The striker’s form has been exceptional so far this season.
He has found the back of the net 15 times in 13 appearances across all competitions for his club, and he is currently the front-runner for this term’s Premier League golden boot.
Haaland has also been a key part of his national team’s bid to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998.
He has 12 goals in six qualifiers and has scored eight times in his last two games, after netting five times in an 11-1 drubbing of Moldova in September.
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The hat-trick was also his sixth on the international stage.
His first strike for Norway came in a 2-1 defeat against Austria during the UEFA Nations League in September 2020.
Haaland’s Manchester City side will return to action in the Premier League on Saturday, October 18, when they face Everton.
City are currently 5th in the table, and will be hoping to close the gap between themselves and league leaders Arsenal.
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