Most goals in football: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi headline legendary list

Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in football history. 

With 901 strikes to his name at club and international level combined, Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list for the most goals in football.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-time rival, Lionel Messi, features second on the list for the most goals in football history. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has netted a staggering 838 goals in his legendary career so far.

The likes of Pele, Romário and Ferenc Puskas complete the top five list for the most goals in football history.

Apart from Ronaldo and Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Luis Suarez are some of the other active footballers who have scored more than 500 goals at club and international level combined.

Know players with most goals in football history.

Most goals in football: Know top 10 highest goal-scorers of all-time

Cristiano Ronaldo | 901 goals

Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the top goalscorer of all time. The star forward has netted an astonishing 901 senior career goals for club and country. At the club level, Ronaldo has been a prolific goalscorer for the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus, Al-Nassr and Sporting CP. Furthermore, Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in international football. Since his senior national debut for Portugal in 2003, Ronaldo has scored 132 goals in 214 appearances so far. For his extraordinary goal-scoring record, Ronaldo bagged several individual awards including five Ballon d'Or awards, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League.  

Lionel Messi | 838 goals

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi is second on the list for the most goals in football history. Arguably the greatest player in football history, Lionel Messi has mesmerised the fans with both his playmaking as well as goalscoring. The left-footed football magician has scored 838 goals in his illustrious career so far. Having spent his majority of his professional football career at FC Barcelona, Messi is the club’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals in all competitions. He has also netted a few goals for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. The Rosario-born footballer features second on the list for the most goals in international football (109) behind rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi is the most decorated player in football history with 44 team trophies to his name including the FIFA World Cup, two Copa America titles, 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. On the personal front, Messi has bagged a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and was named the world's best player for a record eight times by FIFA.

Pele | 762 goals

Pele features third on the list for the most goals in football history. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, nicknamed Pele, is often considered to be the greatest football player of all time. Among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century, Pele scored 762 goals in his legendary career at the club and international level combined. Pele’s record of 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches, including friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record. Having played as a forward and attacking midfielder, Pele won three FIFA World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970. With 77 goals in 92 games, Pele was the national team’s top scorer for over 50 years before Neymar broke the record. At the club level, Pele is the all-time top scorer for Santos with 643 goals in 659 matches. During his time, Pele helped Santos clinch the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores and the 1962 and 1963 Intercontinental Cup. He also scored 37 goals for the New York Cosmos between 1975 and 1977. 

Photo credit: Imago