Robert Lewandowski just can’t resist himself from scoring for Poland. After finding the back of the net during his country’s 3-2 win over Malta in the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, the FC Barcelona striker is now closing in on Lionel Messi, as he chases down Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals record.
When speaking about the greatest strikers of the century, it shouldn’t take long for Lewandowski’s name to come up. The Polish forward has torn through records left and right in his soccer career, and it’s only fitting that he is now nearing Messi and Ronaldo territory.
With his header against Malta, Lewandowski scored his 34th career goal in World Cup Qualifiers. As reported by MisterChip (@2010MisterChip on X), ‘Lewan’ is just two games away from Messi’s 36 tallies for Argentina. As for Ronaldo, the Portuguese striker is still a longer way ahead, as he has scored 41 times for ‘The Navigators’ in World Cup Qualifiers.
Lewandowski still has a chance
Though Poland failed to officially qualify, they aren’t eliminated from World Cup contention just yet. Instead, the Eagles will be competing in the UEFA Play-Off Round. Meanwhile, both Messi’s Argentina and Ronaldo’s Portugal won’t play another qualifiers match for the foreseeable future, and it’s unclear whether the two greats will still be active by the time their nations begin their campaigns for the 2030 World Cup.
However, Lewandowski and Poland could play up to two more games—enough for the striker to potentially surpass Messi on the all-time leaderboard for most goals in World Cup Qualifiers. Though Ronaldo sits seven goals ahead, soccer fans around the globe wouldn’t put it past Lewandowski to chase down that milestone. After all, he once scored five goals in nine minutes—and his thirst for scoring in bunches is still ever-present.
Goals’ record isn’t main priority
Regardless, while the goals record is certainly an added motivator, Lewandowski’s sole focus will be securing his country’s place in the upcoming World Cup. If the road to the world’s biggest tournament requires him to finish scoreless, then so be it. For ‘Lewan’, the flag sits above any individual accolade.