List of international goals scored by Denis Law

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Denis Law, pictured in 2011 Denis Law.jpg
Denis Law, pictured in 2011

Denis Law was a Scottish footballer, who represented the Scotland national football team from 1958 to 1974. During that time he scored 30 international goals in 55 appearances. [1] This made him the all-time top goalscorer for Scotland, a status he has held since scoring his 25th goal in 1966. The record was previously held by Hughie Gallacher, who scored 24 goals in 20 matches between 1924 and 1935. Law's record was equalled by Kenny Dalglish in 1984, and the two have been co-holders of the record ever since. [2] [3]

Contents

Law's goal tally included three hat-tricks: he scored four goals in a 5–1 win against Northern Ireland on 7 November 1962, three in a 4–3 win against Norway on 4 June 1963 and four in a 6–1 win against Norway on 7 November 1963. Law jointly holds the record for Scotland hat-tricks, with three, and he is the only player to have scored four goals or more in a game on more than one occasion.

Law is the only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d'Or, in 1964. [4] He also finished fourth in the voting in 1963. [4] Law only played in one major tournament finals for Scotland, as his career largely coincided with a long qualification drought between 1958 and 1974. [5] He played in one match at the 1974 World Cup finals, a 2–0 win against Zaire, which was his 55th and final appearance for Scotland. [1]

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Law goal.
List of international goals scored by Denis Law
No.CapDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef.
1118 October 1958 Ninian Park, Cardiff, WalesFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 3–03–0 1958–59 British Home Championship [6]
284 May 1960 Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of Poland.svg  Poland 1–12–3 Friendly [7]
3109 November 1960Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandUlster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 1–05–2 1960–61 British Home Championship [8]
41229 September 1961Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia 2–23–2 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification [9]
53–2
61520 October 1962Ninian Park, Cardiff, WalesFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 2–13–2 1962–63 British Home Championship [10]
7167 November 1962Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandUlster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 1–15–11962–63 British Home Championship [11]
82–1
93–1
105–1
11188 May 1963Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of Austria.svg  Austria 3–04–1Friendly [12]
124–0
13194 June 1963 Brann Stadion, Bergen, NorwayFlag of Norway.svg  Norway 1–13–4Friendly [13]
142–1
153–2
162113 June 1963 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, SpainFlag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain 1–16–2Friendly [14]
17227 November 1963Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of Norway.svg  Norway 1–16–1Friendly [13]
182–1
193–1
206–1
212320 November 1963Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 2–02–1 1963–64 British Home Championship [13]
222721 October 1964Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of Finland.svg  Finland 1–03–1 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification [15]
232910 April 1965 Wembley Stadium, London, EnglandFlag of England.svg  England 1–22–2 1964–65 British Home Championship [16]
243123 May 1965 Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, PolandFlag of Poland.svg  Poland 1–11–11966 FIFA World Cup qualification [17]
25352 April 1966Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of England.svg  England 1–23–4 1965–66 British Home Championship [18]
263622 October 1966Ninian Park, Cardiff, WalesFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 1–11–1 1966–67 British Home Championship [a] [19]
273715 April 1967Wembley Stadium, London, EnglandFlag of England.svg  England 1–03–21966–67 British Home Championship [a] [20]
28406 November 1968Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of Austria.svg  Austria 1–12–1 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification [21]
294326 April 1972Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of Peru (state).svg  Peru 2–02–0Friendly [22]
304420 May 1972Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandUlster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 2–02–0 1971–72 British Home Championship [23]
  1. 1 2 The 1966-67 and 1967-68 British Home Championship results were combined to form group 8 of UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying

Hat-tricks

No.DateVenueOpponentGoalsResultCompetitionRef.
17 November 1962 Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandUlster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 4 – (40', 64', 77', 87')5–1 1962–63 British Home Championship [11]
24 June 1963 Brann Stadion, Bergen, NorwayFlag of Norway.svg  Norway 3 – (14', 22', 76')3–4 Friendly [13]
37 November 1963Hampden Park, Glasgow, ScotlandFlag of Norway.svg  Norway 4 – (19', 42', 60', 78')6–1Friendly [13]

Statistics

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Denis Law at the Scottish Football Association
  2. ↑ Mamrud, Roberto (21 August 2019). "Goalscoring for Scotland National Team". RSSS. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Mamrud, Roberto (5 October 2002). "Denis Law - Goals in International Matches". RSSSF.
  4. 1 2 Di Maggio, Roberto; Moore, Rob; Stokkermans, Karel (6 December 2018). "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  5. ↑ Forsyth, Roddy (2 January 2014). "Sir Alex Ferguson's high praise shows why Denis Law was King in Scotland's golden age". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  6. ↑ "Wales v Scotland". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Scotland v Poland, 04 May 1960". 11v11. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Scotland v Northern Ireland". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "Scotland vs. Czechoslovakia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Wales v Scotland". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  11. 1 2 Maxwell, J (26 March 2015). "Law scored four in Scotland's win over Northern Ireland". Glasgow: Glasgow Times. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "Day defeated Austrians threw the toys out of the pram". The Herald. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Scotland - International Matches 1961-1965". The Rec Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  14. ↑ Vallance, Matt (13 June 2013). "The night Scotland hit Spain for six in Madrid". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "Scotland v Finland". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  16. ↑ "England v Scotland, 10 April 1965". 11v11. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  17. ↑ "Poland v Scotland, 23 May 1965". 11v11. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "Scotland v England, 02 April 1966". 11v11. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  19. ↑ "Wales vs Scotland". UEFA. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "15 April 1967". 11v11. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  21. ↑ "Scotland vs. Austria". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  22. ↑ "Scotland v Peru". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  23. ↑ "Scotland v Northern Ireland". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
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