European Qualifiers top scorer: Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland has topped the scorer rankings for the group stage of the European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after registering 16 times as Norway secured their first World Cup finals berth since 1998.

Haaland's tally included five goals in an 11-1 win against Moldova, a hat-trick versus Israel and a remarkable record of at least one goal in each of Norway's eight matches. He will receive the top scorer trophy presented by Alipay+.

The Manchester City striker finished the group stage eight clear of his nearest challengers, England captain Harry Kane, Netherlands forward Memphis Depay and Austria's Marko Arnautović.

Haaland's tally of 16 goals also matched the record for goals scored by a European player in a single World Cup qualifying campaign, set by Poland's Robert Lewandowski over ten games for the 2018 edition.

Who was the top scorer in the European Qualifiers?

Arnautović, Depay and Kane, each the all-time top scorer for their respective nations, ended the group stage on eight goals apiece. Kevin De Bruyne, Andrej Kramarić and Spain duo Mikel Oyarzabal and Mikel Merino were all two behind on six. Cristiano Ronaldo ended on five goals, having taken his all-time World Cup qualifying tally to a record 41.

The top scorer trophy

The top scorer trophy presented by Alipay+ depicts a barefooted striker poised to take his winning shot.

Sculpted in the shape of the Chinese character "支" (pronounced zhi, and meaning 'payment' as well as 'support'), the trophy reflects Alipay+'s dedication to enabling seamless cross-border payments between consumers and merchants at all scales. The barefooted striker evokes the original beauty and power of football – a game that unites people across the world with passion, ambition and solidarity.

The base of the trophy draws inspiration from the ocean, and is composed of undulating pieces that represent competing teams navigating the tides of competition. Just as the ocean bridges continents, football serves as a universal link between people, echoing Alipay+'s vision for fostering inclusive growth.

Who provided the most assists in the European Qualifiers?

Martin Ødegaard was the most prolific group stage provider, laying on seven of Norway's 37 goals (four of them for Haaland). Croatia's Lovro Majer and Wales' Sorba Thomas were next on five, with a group of 12 players, including Ødegaard's Arsenal colleague Declan Rice and his international team-mate Julian Ryerson, on four.

7 Martin Ødegaard (Norway)

5 Lovro Majer (Croatia)
5 Sorba Thomas (Wales)

4 Nicușor Bancu (Romania)
4 Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Türki̇ye)
4 Memphis Depay (Netherlands)
4 Federico Dimarco (Italy)
4 Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)
4 Ivan Perišić (Croatia)
4 Mateo Retegui (Italy)
4 Declan Rice (England)
4 Julian Ryerson (Norway)
4 Alexis Saelemaekers (Belgium)
4 Dominik Szoboszlai (Hungary)
4 Manor Solomon (Israel)

Who scored a hat-trick?

There have been ten hat-tricks in the European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Aleksandar Mitrović (Serbia 3-0 Andorra, 10/06/2025)
Mikel Merino (Türkiye 0-6 Spain, 07/09/2025)
Erling Haaland (five) (Norway 11-1 Moldova, 09/09/2025)
Thelo Aasgard (four) (Norway 11-1 Moldova, 09/09/2025)
Marko Arnautović (four) (Austria 10-0 San Marino, 09/10/2025)
Erling Haaland (Norway 5-0 Israel, 11/10/2025)
Bruno Fernandes (Portugal 9-1 Armenia, 16/11/2025)
João Neves (Portugal 9-1 Armenia, 16/11/2025)
Troy Parrott (Hungary 2-3 Republic of Ireland, 16/11/2025)
Harry Wilson (Wales 7-1 North Macedonia, 18/11/2025)

Recent European Qualifiers top scorers

EURO 2024: Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) 14
2022 World Cup: Harry Kane (England), Memphis Depay (Netherlands) 12
EURO 2020: Harry Kane (England) 12
2018 World Cup: Robert Lewandowski (Poland) 16
EURO 2016: Robert Lewandowski (Poland) 13
2014 World Cup: Robin van Persie (Netherlands) 11
EURO 2012: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands) 12
2010 World Cup: Theofanis Gekas (Greece) 10
EURO 2008: David Healy (Northern Ireland) 13
2006 World Cup: Pauleta (Portugal) 11
EURO 2004: Ermin Šiljak (Slovenia) 9
2002 World Cup: Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine) 10
EURO 2000: Raúl González (Spain) 11