1. Cristiano Ronaldo – Nearing 1000 Career Goals
Cristiano Ronaldo, 40 years old, is still scoring goals like a teenager. He is the all-time top scorer, with 936 goals in 1,270 games for club and country . Ronaldo is the first player to reach 900 career goals, doing so in September 2024 tortoisemedia.com+15bbc.com+15talksport.com+15. He now dreams of hitting 1,000 goals before he retires talksport.com+3edition.cnn.com+3bbc.com+3. Whether playing at Al Nassr or leading Portugal, Ronaldo continues making football history.
2. Lionel Messi – The Record-Breaking Maestro
Lionel Messi is in second place with 867 goals in 1,102 matches, playing for clubs like Barcelona, PSG, and now Inter Miami reddit.com+15talksport.com+15reuters.com+15. He won the World Cup in 2022 and continues to score for both club and country. Messi is still chasing 900 goals, and his tally keeps growing.
3. Josef Bican – The Forgotten Legend
Josef Bican held the top-scorer record for over 60 years with 805 goals in official matches talksport.com. He scored nearly 400 goals for Slavia Prague alone talksport.com. Though earlier counts suggested over 1,400 goals, FIFA acknowledges 805 official career goals for Bican en.wikipedia.org+15tortoisemedia.com+15reddit.com+15.
4. Romário – Brazil’s Scoring Machine
Romário scored 772 goals in 994 games during his career . The Brazilian forward shone for his national side in the 1994 World Cup. He scored 55 goals in 70 games for Brazil and was especially deadly during his time at PSV Eindhoven.
5. Pelé – The King of Football
Pelé, a three-time World Cup champion, recorded 757 goals in 831 official matches edition.cnn.com+3talksport.com+3myfootballfacts.com+3. Even though he claims over 1,200 goals including friendlies, FIFA counts 757 in official games. He is still one of the most respected players ever .
6. Ferenc Puskás – Hungary and Madrid Legend
Ferenc Puskás scored at least 746 official goals in over 754 matches . He became a legend at Real Madrid and scored memorable goals for Hungary, including during the "Match of the Century" against England.
7. Gerd Müller – Germany’s Goal King
Gerd Müller, nicknamed "Der Bomber," scored 734 goals in 793 games talksport.com. He was famous at Bayern Munich and scored the winning goal for West Germany in the 1974 World Cup final.
8. Robert Lewandowski – Modern Scoring Machine
Robert Lewandowski, still active in 2025, has scored 672 goals in 951 games talksport.com. The Polish star is Bayern Munich’s second-highest scorer, now continuing with Barcelona, and is recognized as one of Europe’s best strikers.
9. Ferenc Deák – Hungary’s Hidden Scorer
Ferenc Deák scored 576+ official goals in his career talksport.com. Although less known globally, he averaged more than three goals per game for Szentlőrinci AC in the 1940s.
10. Uwe Seeler – German Great
Uwe Seeler scored 575+ goals during his career from 1953 to 1978 talksport.com. He played over 400 times for Hamburger SV and represented West Germany in four World Cups. He passed away in 2022 but is still celebrated in Germany.
Why These Records Matter
These players are more than goal scorers—they are legends of world football. The debate about the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) continues, especially between Ronaldo and Messi. Ronaldo is ahead now, but Messi is catching up.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally is easy to verify with modern records, while older players like Pelé and Bican have numbers that spark debates talksport.comen.wikipedia.org+2en.wikipedia.org+2talksport.com+2. Regardless, each player left a legacy in football history.
Quick Recap – Top 10 All-Time Goal Scorers
- Cristiano Ronaldo – 936
- Lionel Messi – 867
- Josef Bican – 805+
- Romário – 772
- Pelé – 757
- Ferenc Puskás – 746+
- Gerd Müller – 734
- Robert Lewandowski – 672
- Ferenc Deák – 576+
- Uwe Seeler – 575+
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