Denis Law, pictured in 2011

Denis Law is a Scottish retired football player, 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]

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]

List of goals scored

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.
Goal Cap Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 1 18 October 1958 Ninian Park, Cardiff  Wales 2–0 3–0 1958–59 British Home Championship [6]
2 8 4 May 1960 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Poland 1–1 2–3 Friendly [6]
3 10 9 November 1960 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Northern Ireland 1–0 5–2 1960–61 British Home Championship [6]
4 12 26 September 1961 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Czechoslovakia 2–2 3–2 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification [7]
5 3–2 3–2
6 15 20 October 1962 Ninian Park, Cardiff  Wales 2–1 3–2 1962–63 British Home Championship [7]
7 16 7 November 1962 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Northern Ireland 1–1 5–1 1962–63 British Home Championship [7]
8 2–1 5–1
9 3–1 5–1
10 5–1 5–1
11 18 8 May 1963 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Austria 3–0 4–1 Friendly [7]
12 4–0 4–1
13 19 4 June 1963 Brann Stadion, Bergen  Norway 1–1 3–4 Friendly [7]
14 2–2 3–4
15 3–3 3–4
16 21 13 June 1963 Bernabeu, Madrid  Spain 1–1 6–2 Friendly [7]
17 22 7 November 1963 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Norway 1–1 6–1 Friendly [7]
18 2–1 6–1
19 3–1 6–1
20 6–1 6–1
21 23 20 November 1963 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Wales 2–0 2–1 1963–64 British Home Championship [7]
22 27 21 October 1964 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Finland 1–0 3–1 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification [7]
23 29 10 April 1965 Wembley Stadium, London  England 1–2 2–2 1964–65 British Home Championship [7]
24 31 23 May 1965 Silesia Stadium, Chorzów / Katowice  Poland 1–1 1–1 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification [7]
25 35 2 April 1966 Hampden Park, Glasgow  England 1–2 3–4 1965–66 British Home Championship [8]
26 36 22 October 1966 Ninian Park, Cardiff  Wales 1–1 1–1 1966–67 British Home Championship / UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying [8]
27 37 15 April 1967 Wembley Stadium, London  England 1–0 3–2 1966–67 British Home Championship / UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying [8]
28 40 6 November 1968 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Austria 1–1 2–1 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification [8]
29 43 26 April 1972 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Peru 2–0 2–0 Friendly [9]
30 44 20 May 1972 Hampden Park, Glasgow  Northern Ireland 1–0 2–0 1971–72 British Home Championship [9]

Statistics

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Denis Law at the Scottish Football Association
  2. ^ Mamrud, Roberto (21 August 2019). "Goalscoring for Scotland National Team". RSSS. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Mamrud, Roberto (5 October 2002). "Denis Law - Goals in International Matches". RSSSF.
  4. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (23 May 2019). "Scotland - International Matches 1956-1960". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (23 May 2019). "Scotland - International Matches 1961-1965". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (23 May 2019). "Scotland - International Matches 1966-1970". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (23 May 2019). "Scotland - International Matches 1971-1975". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
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