THE Messi-Ronaldo era has ended in national team soccer and in the UEFA Nations League this week. Europe’s top strikers resume a long pursuit of the two greats’ remarkable goal-scoring totals.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s formal retirement from the Portugal team last week leaves his men’s record 146 goals as the grail for Harry Kane (on 91), Kylian Mbappé (67) and Erling Haaland (65).
Kane will set an England record of 126 games if he plays when hosting Croatia on Thursday. England then plays on Sunday at World Cup and European champion Spain, which starts the week with a 42-game unbeaten run.
Mbappé and France face Italy in Milan on Thursday and host Turkey three days later.
Haaland and Norway first host Wales — a possible relegation decider on Saturday in Portugal’s group — then visit Denmark on Tuesday.
In the fourth top-tier group, Jürgen Klopp’s Germany trails unbeaten Netherlands and Greece after winning just one of his first four games as coach.
The final standings next week will send the winner and runner-up in all four groups to the Nations League quarterfinals in March. The final four mini-tournament is in June.
Also in play over the next week is seeding the 54 nations for the Dec. 6 draw in Belfast of qualifying groups for the 2028 European Championship.
Ronaldo’s scoring record is safe for now.
That 146-goal mark, scored in an astonishing 234 national team games across 23 years, is likely safe until at least the 2030 World Cup that Portugal will co-host.
Messi ended his Argentina career last month second all-time with 126 goals, ahead of Iran great Ali Daei, who scored 108 times from 1993 to 2006.
