Erling Haaland has opened another gap at the top of the UEFA Nations League scoring chart. The Norway striker reached 22 goals in the competition after scoring against Portugal, moving 7 clear of Cristiano Ronaldo and Aleksandar Mitrović.
The milestone came despite Norway losing 2-1 to Portugal in Oslo on Sept. 27. Haaland’s latest goal continued a remarkable Nations League scoring run while underlining how quickly he has separated himself from two established international stars.
Haaland extends his Nations League scoring record
Haaland entered the Portugal match with 21 Nations League goals, already sitting alone at the top of the competition’s all-time scoring list. His 51st-minute equalizer pushed that total to 22 and extended his advantage over the chasing pair.
Ronaldo and Mitrović remain tied on 15 goals each, according to UEFA’s latest all-time rankings. Haaland therefore leads both players by 7 goals, creating meaningful separation despite the Portuguese star’s long history in the competition.
The record has developed quickly because Haaland has repeatedly produced multiple-goal performances in the tournament. UEFA lists him among the competition’s players with hat tricks, adding another dimension to his scoring record.
His latest goal came against Portugal
Haaland’s latest milestone arrived during a difficult night for Norway. Portugal went ahead through João Félix in the 17th minute before Haaland restored parity early in the second half with a close-range finish assisted by Patrick Berg.
The equalizer lasted only 3 minutes. Gonçalo Ramos restored Portugal’s lead in the 54th minute, and the defending Nations League champions held on for a 2-1 victory at Ullevaal Stadion despite Norway controlling 62% of possession.
Haaland’s goal was his 65th for Norway in all competitions, according to match reporting. It also meant he had scored in each of Norway’s opening 2 Nations League matches of the 2026-27 campaign.
Haaland started the campaign with 2 goals
Before facing Portugal, Haaland scored twice in Norway’s 3-2 victory over Denmark on Sept. 24. He struck in the 18th and 74th minutes, with his second goal proving the winner after Denmark had fought back from 2-0 down.
Haaland added another goal against Portugal on Sept. 27, taking his 2026-27 Nations League total to 3. He did not score in Norway’s 2-1 defeat to Wales on Oct. 1, leaving him on 3 goals after 3 matches.
UEFA’s latest scoring table lists Haaland among players with 3 goals. Harry Kane, Leo Walta, and Lamine Yamal lead the 2026-27 Nations League scoring race with 4 goals each after Matchday 3.
Ronaldo and Mitrović remain tied behind him
Ronaldo’s 15 Nations League goals include his famous hat trick against Switzerland in the inaugural edition’s semifinals. His record remains significant, especially considering Portugal’s repeated success in the competition and his role across multiple editions.
Mitrović also has a strong Nations League scoring history. He finished as the competition’s top scorer in 2018-19 with 6 goals and shared the 2022-23 scoring crown with Haaland after both players finished with 6.
Haaland’s latest surge changes that historical comparison. Instead of sharing the record or sitting narrowly ahead, he now has 22 goals compared with 15 apiece for Ronaldo and Mitrović, giving him a 7-goal cushion.
His Nations League production has been remarkably consistent
Haaland has been productive across multiple Nations League editions rather than building his record in a single tournament. UEFA records show him as a top scorer in both 2020-21 and 2022-23, scoring 6 goals in each campaign.
He was also highly effective during the 2024-25 edition, scoring 7 goals across 6 appearances. Those numbers helped maintain his position near the top even before his latest scoring burst in 2026.
His record is particularly notable because Norway has not reached a Nations League final. Haaland’s goals have therefore been scored largely during league-phase matches, in which Norway has competed at different tiers of the competition.
Norway’s results have not matched his scoring
Haaland’s personal numbers have continued to rise even when Norway has fallen short on the scoreboard. The 2-1 defeat to Portugal was a clear example: his equalizer could not prevent the visitors from reclaiming the lead 3 minutes later.
Norway had entered the Portugal game after beating Denmark 3-2 in its opening match. That win ended a 26-year wait for Norway to defeat its neighbor, giving the team an encouraging start to the new Nations League campaign.
Portugal, meanwhile, opened the campaign with 2 wins. Its victory in Oslo came with Ronaldo on the bench, while João Félix and Ramos supplied the goals that secured another important result for the defending champions.
Haaland’s wider international numbers add context
The Nations League record is part of an even larger international scoring rise. Haaland’s goal against Portugal brought his Norway total to 65, placing his rapid development into a broader context beyond the competition’s all-time scoring chart.
UEFA’s international scoring records continue to place Ronaldo well ahead overall, with the Portugal forward reaching 146 international goals. Haaland’s Nations League advantage, therefore, should not be confused with an overall international scoring lead.
Haaland’s 22 Nations League goals, however, represent a record that now clearly belongs to him. With the 2026-27 competition still underway, he has an opportunity to extend that mark further during the remaining fixtures.
The record could grow further this season
Haaland has scored 3 goals in the 2026-27 Nations League and remains among the tournament’s leading scorers. UEFA’s latest table has several players level on 3 goals, including Haaland, Joel Pohjanpalo, João Félix, Viktor Gyökeres and Robert Lewandowski.
Norway has played 3 League A matches, beating Denmark before losing to Portugal and Wales. Haaland’s latest Nations League goal came against Portugal on Sept. 27, and Norway is scheduled to face Portugal again on Oct. 4.
Haaland still owns the competition’s all-time scoring record with 22 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo and Aleksandar Mitrović remain tied behind him with 15 each, leaving the 26-year-old with a 7-goal advantage.
Fun fact: Haaland scored his first senior international hat trick in the Nations League on Oct. 11, 2020, when Norway defeated Romania 4-0.
TL;DR
- Haaland has 22 UEFA Nations League goals, the most in competition history.
- Cristiano Ronaldo and Aleksandar Mitrović are tied behind him with 15 goals each.
- Haaland scored in Norway’s 2-1 loss to Portugal on Sept. 27.
- He scored twice in Norway’s 3-2 victory over Denmark on Sept. 24.
- Haaland has 3 goals in the 2026-27 Nations League after 3 matches.
- His goal against Portugal was his 65th for Norway at the senior international level.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
