Erling Haaland reaches Gerd Müller’s 65-goal mark

Erling Haaland has reached a landmark associated with one of Europe’s greatest goal scorers. The Norway striker became the first European player since Gerd Müller in 1974 to score 65 goals in his first 57 international appearances, placing him alongside the former West Germany forward in the record books.

Haaland achieved the mark during Norway’s 2-1 defeat by Portugal in the Nations League. Starting the match, the Manchester City forward struck in the 51st minute to bring Norway level. Portugal restored its advantage three minutes later through Gonçalo Ramos, leaving Haaland’s milestone without a winning result for his team.

The figure adds to an exceptional scoring record at club and international level. At 26, Haaland has scored 306 goals in 392 professional matches. His current season has followed the same pattern, with seven goals in seven appearances.

For Norway, the defeat means Haaland’s latest contribution did not change the outcome against Portugal. For the striker, however, the goal confirmed a scoring rate matched in the modern era only by Müller at the same stage of an international career.