Top Scorers of the Portuguese National Team: A Story of Goals and Legends

Forget search engines and queries like “Portuguese national team players.” Here you’ll find the most important facts about Portugal and the players of the Portuguese National Team with the most goals — those who most often found the way to the back of the net.

Over more than 650 matches and more than 1,000 goals scored in 100 years of history, many players have stood out. But if the ultimate goal of football is to put the ball in the net, there is a group of Portuguese National Team legends who did it like no one else.

When we think of the top scorers of the Portuguese National Team, Cristiano Ronaldo immediately comes to mind. Yet we cannot forget Pauleta, who broke Eusébio’s record, or Luís Figo, who with skill and determination helped establish Portugal as a team of finishers.

Open the stats chest with us and discover who are the players of the Portuguese National Team with the most goals.
 

Cristiano Ronaldo: 143 goals in 226 matches

Words fall short when trying to describe Cristiano Ronaldo’s journey and importance not only to the Portuguese National Team but to world football itself.

From his first goal at Euro 2004 at just 19 years old to the 143 he has already scored in 226 matches, he became the all-time top scorer in international football.

This love story with the National Team and with goals has made Cristiano Ronaldo, beyond all the countless records he holds, the greatest scorer ever at the international level, surpassing even Lionel Messi and Ali Daei.

Ronaldo is not just one of the Portuguese players with the most goals — he is the ultimate example of dedication and longevity, a true living legend.

Pauleta: 47 goals in 88 matches

In the 1990s and early 2000s, criticism of Portuguese football was common: the team lacked strikers who could decide games.

Then came Pauleta, from the Azores — a discreet forward who never played in the Portuguese top division but turned scoring into a natural habit.

After shining at Salamanca, Deportivo La Coruña, and PSG, where he stood out as top scorer in Spain’s second division and France’s Ligue 1, he brought that instinct to the Portuguese National Team.

He debuted in style with two goals in a 7-0 win over Azerbaijan in Euro 2000 qualifying. But the moment that immortalized him came on October 12, 2005: against Latvia, in a World Cup 2006 qualifier, Pauleta broke Eusébio’s legendary record.

He ended his Portuguese National Team career with 47 goals in 88 matches, securing his place as one of the top scorers of the Portuguese National Team and a true legend of the Quinas.

Eusébio: 41 goals in 64 matches

Eusébio not only led Benfica to historic moments but also forever changed the Portuguese National Team.

He was the top scorer of the 1966 World Cup, where Portugal finished third, and starred in legendary matches — like against North Korea, when he scored four goals in an epic comeback from 0-3 to 4-3.

The “Black Panther” debuted in 1961 at just 19 years old and from then on left his mark as one of the greatest legends of the Portuguese National Team, with an impressive goals-per-game ratio and golden pages in the history of Portuguese football.

Luís Figo: 32 goals in 127 matches

Trained at Sporting’s famed academy, Luís Figo stood out early. First with the U-20 team, helping win a second consecutive world title, and later on the big stages of Portugal, Spain, and Italy, where he became a global star.

In 2000, he became the second Portuguese player to win the Ballon d’Or, after Eusébio, and the first to receive FIFA’s World Player of the Year award.

With 127 caps, he is the third player with the most appearances for Portugal. Forever memorable is his goal against England at Euro 2000, a symbol of the skill and determination with which he led the team. He ended his international career after Euro 2008 with 32 goals.

Nuno Gomes: 29 goals in 79 matches

Nuno Gomes emerged incredibly young at Boavista and was quickly seen as the heir to Fernando Gomes’ scoring instinct — even his surname carried that tribute.

An international since age 15, he won the U-18 European Championship and debuted for the senior team at 19 against France in 1996.

His first goal came at Euro 2000 against England, in a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory. He finished that tournament with four goals, including a memorable strike against France in the semifinals, becoming one of the top scorers of the competition.

In 2008, he made history as the fourth player to score in three consecutive European Championships (2000, 2004, and 2008). He also represented Portugal at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and closed his international career with 29 goals in 79 matches, securing his place among the top scorers of the Portuguese National Team.

From Eusébio to Cristiano Ronaldo, passing through Pauleta, Figo, and Nuno Gomes, these are the top scorers of the Portuguese National Team who wrote golden chapters in the history of Portuguese football. Each goal represents more than numbers: it is passion, unity, and pride for Portugal.

You already know the greatest scorers of the Portuguese National Team and the legends who made history. Now it’s your turn to show your support: visit the Portugal Store and get your official Portugal scarf. Because every goal deserves to be celebrated with the jersey and scarf proudly worn!