Messi 3rd, Ronaldo 4th: Know the Top 5 International goal scorers since 2020

Scoring goals at the highest level of international football is a proud moment for footballers. Doing it consistently for your country, year after year, is what separates the greats from the legends. Over the past five years, a few elite players have distanced themselves from the rest. Stars from five different nations make up this exclusive list. Find out who claims the top 5 spot among the world’s most lethal international goal scorers since 2020.

5. Kylian Mbappe: 42 goals

Having scored 42 goals over the past five years, Mbappe is now only three strikes away from becoming France's outright all time top scorer. The 26 year old will be licking his lips at the prospect of the World Cup next year, particularly with how good he has been for club and country this season. Kylian Mbappe has scored 55 goals in 94 international appearances for the France national team

4. Cristiano Ronaldo: 44 goals

Still going strong at the age of 40, Ronaldo certainly knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. He was Portugal's top scorer during their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign and will no doubt have a key role to play at the tournament next summer. With 143 goals for Portugal in total, he has scored 28 more goals on the international stage than any other player has managed.

3. Lionel Messi: 45 goals

Unsurprisingly, Messi's highest scoring year since 2020 came back in 2022 when he carried Argentina to World Cup glory. Along with scoring 45 goals over the past five years, he has also produced 20 assists and is averaging a goal contribution every 75 minutes. Lionel Messi has scored 115 goals across his 196 appearances for the Argentina national team, making him the country's all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player

2. Harry Kane: 46 goals

When it comes to scoring charts, Kane's name usually is not far away from the top spot. The 32 year old has been looking incredibly sharp of late and will be England's talisman at the World Cup next summer.

"The way he keeps on producing these numbers is unbelievable and it is credit to him," Thomas Tuchel said following Kane's latest two goal game. "He is the first on and last off the training pitch. He is our biggest hope going into next year." Harry Kane has scored 78 total international goals for the England national team in 112 appearances.

1. Erling Haaland: 55 goals

Who else? Since the start of 2020, no player has scored more goals on the international stage than Haaland has for Norway. During that timeframe, he has scored 55 goals in 46 matches and is currently on track to break all sorts of scoring records. Following his latest two goal haul against Italy, he has now scored 17 goals in nine appearances for Norway during 2025 alone. Scary numbers indeed. Erling Haaland made his senior international debut for Norway in September 2019 and scored his first senior international goal almost exactly a year later, in September 2020.