Erling Haaland is just six goals away from breaking Norway’s goalscoring record, making it inevitable that he will soon become his nation’s most prolific striker. This is a remarkably quick achievement, especially since Haaland only scored his first goals for Norway in 2020. However, this has been a long time coming.
Of the 213 FIFA-affiliated nations, Norway’s record for individual goalscoring is the longest-standing in the world. Jorgen Juve set this record and ended his international career in 1937, leaving a mark of 33 goals in 45 matches for Norway. The fact that he played as a centre-forward in less than half of those games makes his record even more impressive. Haaland will likely reach this milestone almost 90 years after Juve did.
There are only six countries whose goalscoring records have stood for more than 50 years, and only Denmark, Norway, and Hungary have records that have lasted more than half a century for nations that have qualified for the World Cup. Hungary’s record is particularly impressive, with Ferenc Puskas scoring 84 goals in just 85 games before his international career was cut short due to the Hungarian Revolution.
Haaland is currently averaging nearly a goal a game for Norway, a rate that is difficult to sustain over a career. However, he is off to a promising start and is worth watching to see where he ends up in the all-time international goalscoring charts. He has a chance to surpass Juve’s record during the current international break. Norway is taking part in the Euro 2024 qualification, and Haaland’s performance during this time will be a key factor in their success.