5 players with the best goals per game ratio at country level in the 21st century
Scoring consistently is a massive challenge for any player irrespective of their stature or the quality of the opposition. The modern game has evolved in such a fashion that defensive-minded tactics have turned out to be fruitful.
It has certainly become a massive challenge for footballers to score goals with such a setup. That being said, top players have always found the back of the net on a regular basis
While scoring goals at club level is one thing, scoring at the international level is a different challenge altogether. You need to find the right sync with your national teammates with comparatively less time available on hand.
This century has seen some amazing forwards score goals for their country and help out their team time and again. Here, we take a look at the top players with the best goals per game ratio at the national level.
Note: Minimum 15 goals are considered
#5 David Villa (Spain)
If there is one player who is definitely remembered when it comes to curling finishes, it is Spain's David Villa. The Spanish forward has scored plenty of goals in his football career, majorly playing for multiple La Liga clubs.
Villa's performance at the national level was quite impressive. He remains Spain's all-time top goalscorer to date, with 63 goals in 98 matches. He's also Spain's top scorer in the World Cup, having scored nine goals.
@Guaje7Villa retires from football 
🇪🇸 @Guaje7Villa retires from football 😢
He scored 59 goals in 98 Spain games 👏👏👏
#EURO2020 https://t.co/0ER3liEBHi
With an average of 0.64 goals per game, Villa sure did have a great time playing for Spain. In his country's World Cup winning campaign in 2010, the Spaniard went on to score five goals in the tournament. Villa remains the only player on the list to have retired entirely from the game.
#4 Serge Gnabry (Germany)
After failing to impress at Arsenal, Serge Gnabry returned to his home country and established himself as a dynamic forward. Since joining Bayern Munich in the 2017-18 season, the German attacker has never had to look back.
Gnabry made his international debut in 2016 and has since regularly featured for Germany. He went on to score a hat-trick on his debut against San Marino in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match.
To date, Gnabry has scored 20 goals in 31 appearances for Germany, averaging 0.65 goals per game. He will certainly play an important role in the 2022 FIFA World Cup given his creativity and goal-scoring abilities.
#3 Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
Romelu Lukaku may have sometimes struggled in front of goal at club level but that has seldom been the case at the international level. He has consistently found goals while playing for Belgium irrespective of the opposition.
Since making his international debut in 2010, Lukaku has been a lethal force in attack. With 68 goals in 101 appearances for Belgium, he is the country's all-time top goalscorer.
They may have lost the game but Romelu Lukaku's goal for Belgium last night was 🔥 🔥 🔥
https://t.co/nlUgszr95J
The 29-year-old striker averages 0.67 goals per game, showcasing his clinical finishing time and again. Lukaku finished as the second-highest goalscorer in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and is expected to level it up in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#2 Harry Kane (England)
Tottenham Hotspur have a gem of a footballer in Harry Kane given his wonderful positioning and excellent goal-scoring abilities. While the Englishman has done amazingly well at club level, he has been an asset at the international level as well.
Harry Kane captains the England national team and has done a decent job so far. He finished as the top goalscorer in the 2018 World Cup, scoring six goals in six appearances.
◉ Harry Kane - 28%
◉ Raheem Sterling - 11%
◎ Marcus Rashford - 7%
◎ Harry Maguire - 4%
◎ Jesse Lingard - 4%
The highest percentage of goals scored for England under Gareth Southgate. 🏴 https://t.co/gpGu0Bbdbb
The 28-year-old striker has so far scored 50 goals in 73 appearances, averaging 0.68 goals per game. Kane has scored 12 goals in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and looks all set to have an impactful 2022-23 season.
#1 Erling Haaland (Norway)
Words do not suffice for the immense potential Erling Haaland possesses. The Norwegian striker signed for Manchester City this summer after having three terrific seasons with Borussia Dortmund.
Using his tall and strong physique, Haaland is certainly difficult to challenge. It only gets worse for the opposition with his smart runs and clinical finishing. Having made his debut in 2019, the Norwegian has been quite impactful for his country.
Two goals today 
▪️ Two goals today
▪️ Scored in seven straight games for Norway
▪️ 11 goals in that span
Erling Haaland 🤖 https://t.co/JaLNJLxqvo
Haaland has scored 20 goals in 21 appearances so far for Norway. With an average of 0.95 goals per game, no player currently has a better goal-per-game ratio at the national level. It is certainly a shame that the 21-year-old will not be involved in the 2022 FIFA World Cup this year.