Erling Haaland celebrated a milestone this month after reaching 50 goals for the Norwegian national team.
Haaland reached a half-century with a hat-trick against Israel, moving Norway closer to a first World Cup appearance since 1998.
The Manchester City striker has scored 50 goals in fewer caps than his current centre-forward rivals, while boasting one of the best goals per game in international football history.
The international footballers with the best goals-per-match ratio (minimum 50 goals)
5. Kunishige Kamamoto – Japan (0.99)
Japan’s all-time top scorer, Kamamoto scored almost one goal per match during his 13-year career with the national team. The striker, who spent his entire club career with Cerezo Osaka in the J-League, scored 75 times in 76 appearances for Samurai Blue.
He was a seven-time Japanese Footballer of the Year between 1966 and 1981 and was also the tournament’s top scorer when Japan won the bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
4. Gerd Müller – West Germany (1.1)
‘Der Bomber’ is recognized as one of football’s greatest ever goalscorers after a productive spell for club and country. Muller is the all-time record scorer in the Bundesliga with 365 goals and is one of only ten players to have won the World Cup, the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.
He scored 68 goals in 62 caps for the national team, including Golden Boots at the 1970 World Cup and the 1972 European Championship.
GERD MULLER ..Top scorer pic.twitter.com/fUqYj1Ru80
— VoetbalRetroPlus (@robertmdaws) October 8, 2025
3. Sándor Kocsis – Hungary (1.1)
Kocis was part of Hungary’s legendary Mighty Magyars side, alongside Ferenc Puskas and others, scoring 75 goals in just 68 games for the national team.
He was the top scorer at the 1954 World Cup with eleven goals, including a four-goal haul that sank West Germany, while Hungary finished second.
Kocsis had earlier scored a hat-trick in the opening win over South Korea. Only Puskas (84) has surpassed Kocsis’ shirt after Hungary.
2. Erling Haaland – Norway (1.11)
Haaland’s hat-trick against Israel made it 51 goals in just 46 appearances for Norway, with the striker destroying the country’s goalscoring record. He flew past Jorgen Juve’s previous national record (33) and has already passed half a century at international level at the age of 25.
It’s an incredible achievement from Haaland, who is on the verge of sending Norway to their first World Cup appearance in 28 years.
Erling Haaland’s stats for Norway are downright ridiculous 🤖🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/mTmU0i06Vn
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) October 11, 2025
1. Poul Nielsen – Denmark (1.32)
Another Scandinavian marksman tops this list, with Poul Nielsen averaging 1.32 goals per game for Denmark. Nielsen scored 52 goals in 38 international matches for Denmark between 1910 and 1925. It took 100 years for a new attacker to get close to his average…
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