Football lives and breathes football goals. Nothing shakes the collective soul of fans like the moment the ball enters the net. It’s the single act that changes games, wins trophies, and creates the highest goal scorers in football history. Over the decades, some players have made scoring an art, transforming themselves into magicians for their club and country.
Football players whose accurate eye for goal has made them part of the all-time goal scorer ranking and their football records stretches across eras and continents, uniting generations in wonder and debate. Some were fierce in the box. Others were skillful who scored with finesse and style. All they shared as an obsession is putting the ball beyond the keeper.
This is a list of 21 extraordinary players who didn’t just score but changed the limits of what is achievable.
- Cristiano Ronaldo | 938 goals
- Lionel Messi | 877 goals
- Pele | 767 goals
- Romario | 756 goals
- Ferenc Puskas | 725 goals
- Josef Bican | 722 goals
- Robert Lewandowski | 669 goals
- Jimmy Jones | 639 goals
- Gerd Muller | 634 goals
- Joe Bambrick | 626 goals
- Abe Lenstra | 624 goals
- Luis Suarez | 587 goals
- Eusebio | 578 goals
- Glenn Ferguson | 563 goals
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 561 goals
- Túlio Maravilha | 554 goals
- Glenn Ferguson | 536 goals
- Uwe Seeler |529 goals
- Hugo Sánchez | 511 goals
- Gunnar Nordahl | 510 goals
- Alfredo Di Stéfano | 505 goals
21. Alfredo Di Stéfano | 505 goals | 1945-1956
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Di Stéfano wasn’t just a scorer, he was a master of all trade. He embodies total football before it had a name. Over 500 goals scored across South America and Europe, leading Real Madrid to five consecutive European Cups.
He could play anywhere, score from anywhere, and was known for playing football with intelligence. A complete footballer in every sense.
20. Gunnar Nordahl | 510 goals | 1949-1956
Nordahl scored over 500 goals, much of it for AC Milan, where he became Serie A’s most feared striker of the 1950s.
Strong, direct, and ruthlessly efficient, he was the focus point of Milan’s attack. He remains one of the league’s highest goal scorers in football history.
19. Hugo Sánchez | 511 goals | 1976 – 1997
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One of Mexico’s greatest players, Sánchez scored over 500 goals across Mexico and Spain. His time with Real Madrid was on football records, winning La Liga titles, Pichichi trophies, and spectacular goals.
He made the overhead kick his trademark, scoring with a gymnast’s grace and a matador’s flair.
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18. Uwe Seeler | 529 goals | 1954 – 1970
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Seeler was Hamburg’s loyal hero. Known for his humility, leadership, and incredible heading ability despite his modest stature, he led West Germany to the 1966 football world cup final and four world cups overall.
Seeler’s reputation was built on relentless consistency and professionalism.
17. Fernando Peyroteo | 536 goals | 1935 – 1949
One of the best football strikers ever, Peyroteo scored over 500 goals in just 334 official matches for Sporting CP in the 1930s and 40s.
His strike rate is one of the best in football history, over 1.6 goals per game. Yet he remains underappreciated outside Portugal, a hidden gem in football’s history.
16. Túlio Maravilha | 554 goals | 1988 – 2019
A true football wanderer, he scored in every division, often switching clubs multiple times a year. Charismatic and controversial, Tulio turned scoring into a lifestyle.
15. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 561 goals | 1999 – 2023
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Zlatan is as much an artiste as a footballer, a striker who made the impossible happen.
His goals consist of Backheels, overhead kicks, long-range rockets, and some audacious moves. He won titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and France, delivering goals with ease and smiles.
14. Glenn Ferguson | 563 goals | 1987 – 2011
One of the best football strikers for Linfield and Glenavon, he dominated the Ireland football League with consistency and class.
His longevity and leadership turned him into a local legend, proof that greatness can be seen outside of Europe’s biggest stages.
13. Eusebio | 578 goals | 1961 – 1979
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Eusébio da Silva Ferreira took Benfica and Portugal to new heights in football history. His 1966 football world cup iconic nine goals, including a stunning four-goal turnaround against North Korea, made him an icon on the list of the highest goal scorers in football history.
Eusébio mixed athletic grace with raw power. His thunderous shooting and elegant movement made him one of Europe’s first truly global stars.
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12. Luis Suarez | 587 goals | 2005 – Present
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Luis Suárez, the Uruguayan striker, is among the highest goal scorers in football history. Known for his clinical finishing, cunning movement, and fierce competitiveness, Suárez has scored for clubs like Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, and Uruguay’s national team. He is Uruguay’s highest scorer in football history.
His instincts and ability to score in every way imaginable make him one of modern football’s most feared forwards.
11. Abe Lenstra | 624 goals | 1936 – 1963
Abe Lenstra was a legendary Dutch striker known for his remarkable goal-scoring prowess. He played for clubs like Heerenveen and SC Enschede.
Lenstra was celebrated for his elegance on the ball, lethal finishing, and commanding presence in the box. A true icon of Dutch football.
10. Joe Bambrick | 626 goals | 1926 – 1938
Joe Bambrick was a prolific Northern Ireland football striker who had an extraordinary eye for goals. Playing primarily in the 1920s and 1930s, he played for clubs like Linfield and Chelsea, and was known for his accurate finishing.
Bambrick’s legacy is marked by legendary achievement, including scoring six goals in a single international match for Northern Ireland against Wales in 1930, one of British football records that still stands.
9. Gerd Muller | 634 goals | 1963 – 1981
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Gerd Müller, known as “Der Bomber,” was one of the most dangerous finishers in football history. Müller turned goal scoring into a science, known for his sharp instincts, fast reactions, and clinical finishing.
He led Bayern to multiple Bundesliga titles and European Cups, while also winning the 1970 Ballon d’Or. He scored the winning football goal in the 1974 world cup football final and was the highest goal scorer at the 1970 football world cup.
8. Jimmy Jones | 639 goals | 1944 – 1965
Jimmy Jones remains top of Northern Ireland football’s highest goal scorers in football history. Playing for Glenavon, he overcame a horrific injury to become a scoring legend.
Though often overlooked internationally, his achievements made him an icon in Ireland football circles.
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7. Robert Lewandowski | 669 goals | 2005 – present
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Still active and still scoring. A professional that combines strength, technique, and accurate composure.
Lewandowski dominated the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, breaking Gerd Müller’s single-season football record. His five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg remains one of the best football achievements.
6. Josef Bican | 722 goals | 1931 – 1955
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Josef Bican was a legendary striker and among the highest goal scorers in football history. Playing in the 1930s and 1940s for clubs like Slavia Prague, Bican was known for his speed reportedly running 100 meters in 10.8 seconds and his dangerous finishing from any angle.
Despite playing in an era of World War II, he maintained a staggering scoring rate, often scoring multiple goals per game. Though less remembered in the modern era, his football records stand as a testament to pure, unadulterated goal-scoring mastery.
5. Ferenc Puskas | 725 goals | 1943 – 1966
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The captain of Hungary’s Magical Magyars. His left foot was a weapon of mass destruction, powerful, precise, unstoppable.
He played for Budapest Honvéd and later Real Madrid, where he won multiple European World Cups and La Liga titles, forming a great partnership with Alfredo Di Stéfano. His name is now immortalized in FIFA’s award for the best football goal of the year, a brilliant tribute to a man who treated scoring as high art.
4. Romario | 756 goals | 1985 – 2007
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Over 750 goals, many scored with barely a backlift, making fools of keepers with ice-cold precision.
He won the 1994 World Cup with Brazil, scoring crucial goals and displaying streetwise confidence. Romário was a footballing rogue, equally likely to skip training only to score a hat-trick on match day.
3. Pele | 767 goals | 1956 – 1977
Image Credit: Sky Sports
Pelé is football King. His legacy goes far beyond his stats. A three-time football World Cup winner. An ambassador for the game.
Pelé could do everything including dribble, shoot, head, create. He has different goal styles like thunderous strikes, cheeky dinks, acrobatic volleys. He played football with a joy that moved beyond politics and borders, becoming the first truly global football superstar.
2. Lionel Messi | 877 goals | 2004 – present
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Lionel Messi is proof that beauty and efficiency can be one and the same. The one on top of highest goal scorers in football history for Barcelona, Argentina, and a terror for defenders everywhere.
Beyond quantity lies quality. He doesn’t just score, he creates the mode of scoring. His World Cup triumph in 2022 added the final design to a masterpiece career.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo | 938 goals | 2002 – present
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Cristiano Ronaldo’s scoring football records are a result of his ambition and longevity. His goals spread across Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr, and the Portuguese national team.
He tops the UEFA Champions League goal scorers. Air dominance, high speed, accurate finishing, and solid mentality make him top of highest goal scorers in football history. He has conquered England, Spain, and Italy, breaking football records in each and topping the
Wrapping up
These are the highest goal scorers in football history, men who turned the simple act of scoring into legend. Their goals weren’t just numbers, they were lifelines for clubs, moments of national pride, and gifts to generations of fans.
They remind us that football is about glory earned in that one breathless moment when the ball enters the net and the world shouts together.
People Asked About highest goal scorers in football history
Who has scored the most international goals in men’s history?
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the football record for the most international goals in men’s football history. As of 2025, he has scored over 125 goals for Portugal.
Which man has the most trophies in football?
Lionel Messi has the most trophies in football history. He has 46 trophies.
Which football club has more goals in UEFA Champions League?
Real Madrid holds the football record for scoring the most goals in UEFA Champions League. With 1200 goals, they have outpaced all other teams in total cumulative goals, showcasing an enduring legacy of attacking prowess and dominance on the global stage.
Who is the quickest to 100 goals in the Premier League goals involvements?
Erling Haaland became the fastest player to achieve 100 goal involvements in Premier League history. In Manchester City’s match against Brighton & Hove Albion, he calmly scored an 11th-minute penalty, bringing his total of combined goals and assists to 100 in just 94 appearances. Of Haaland’s 100 goal involvements, 84 have been goals, while 16 have been assists.
Who is faster, Haaland or Mbappe?
Mbappé maintained the advantage in last season’s Champions League, hitting a top speed of 36.1 km/h, while Haaland reached 34.6 km/h.
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