European Championship qualifying is nearing its end, with teams securing their spots in next summer’s major tournament in Germany. One player who has made his mark in the history of European Championship qualification is Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian striker recently scored four goals against Azerbaijan, bringing his total to 21 goals in European Championship qualifying matches. This achievement propelled him into the top five all-time scorers in this competition.
Joining Lukaku in the top five are Robert Lewandowski, Harry Kane, Robbie Keane, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Romelu Lukaku – Belgium (21)
Lukaku’s exceptional performance against Azerbaijan allowed him to surpass Turkey’s Hakan Şükür and Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, both of whom scored 19 goals in European Championship qualifying. Lukaku’s four-goal haul also set a new record for the most goals in a single campaign. With a total of 14 goals in eight games, Lukaku surpassed the previous record held by David Healy of Northern Ireland and Robert Lewandowski of Poland, both of whom scored 13 goals in a single campaign.
Currently, Lukaku has scored 83 goals in 113 games for Belgium at the international level. This makes him the nation’s leading goalscorer, with a considerable 50-goal margin over the second-highest scorer, Eden Hazard. Lukaku’s impressive goal-scoring abilities place him as the seventh-highest scorer in men’s international football history, alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Robert Lewandowski – Poland (22)
Robert Lewandowski has scored 22 goals in European Championship qualifying, making him the second all-time top scorer in this competition. During the qualifying campaign for the 2016 tournament, Lewandowski was the leading scorer with 13 goals, a record he held until Lukaku surpassed it. His contributions were crucial to Poland’s qualification.
Harry Kane – England (23)
Harry Kane holds both the all-time goalscoring record for England with 62 goals and the record for most goals in European Championship qualifiers. Of his 62 goals for the national team, 23 have come in European Championship qualifying matches. Kane has also set records for the most goals in a single World Cup qualifying campaign (12) and a European Championship qualifying campaign (12). These achievements were instrumental in England’s successful journey to Euro 2020, where they reached the final, their first major tournament final since 1966.
Robbie Keane – Republic of Ireland (23)
Robbie Keane, the former Republic of Ireland international, ranks second on the list of all-time top scorers in European Championship qualifying. Keane had an illustrious career, representing his country for 18 years and becoming the most capped player and highest goalscorer in Irish history. He scored a total of 23 goals in European Championship qualifying matches and featured in two European Championship tournaments.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal (41)
No surprises here, as Cristiano Ronaldo leads the pack as the all-time top scorer in European Championship qualifying. With his 41st goal against Liechtenstein, Ronaldo claimed this record. The Portuguese captain also holds other scoring records, such as being the top scorer in final tournaments with 14 goals and the only player to score in five different editions of the European Championship. Ronaldo’s impressive goal tally played a crucial role in Portugal’s flawless qualification round, winning all ten games and scoring 32 goals while conceding only twice.
Ronaldo has currently scored 128 goals in 205 appearances for Portugal, cementing his position as the all-time leading scorer for his country. At 38 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to finding the back of the net for his national team.
These top scorers have made their mark in European Championship qualifying history, showcasing their exceptional goal-scoring abilities and contributing to their national teams’ success.
