The Top Goal Scorers of All Time
The beautiful game has produced some stellar moments over the years, there is no denying it. Some of the greatest moments have come from when a goal is scored. We remember those who have managed to land a kick firmly and the best of their goals are often elevated into the realms of legend. Here are the top 10 goal scorers of all time, and their incredible feats on the field.
Joint 9: Uwe Seeler and Túlio Maravilha – 575 Goals
The first spot on this list is taken by the German Seeler and the Brazilian Túlio. Seeler made 72 appearances for the West German national team and is widely considered to be one of the best German players of all time. At the World Cups, he was the first player to ever appear in 20 World Cup matches and is the first player to ever score in four World Cup Matches. He remains an incredibly popular figure in German culture today.
In all 15 games the Brazilian national team played with Túlio, they never lost a match. He claims to have reached over 1000 goals by counting up everything he has scored including goals from amateur games and friendlies. He made a distinctive and iconic kick called the Tuleta in a match against a Chilean team in 1996.
8: Ferenc Deák – 576 Goals
Deák was a Hungarian who played for various teams in his home country and managed to rack up an impressive 576 goals in his seventeen-year career. He was named the Hungarian Football Federation Player of the Year in 1946.
7: Lionel Messi – 683 Goals
Is there a football fan out there who doesn’t know the name of Messi? Often considered one of the greatest players in the world of all time, he has picked up five Ballon d’Or Awards and five European Golden Shoes. When checking the football score for Barcelona games, you would almost certainly find Messi’s name there. He is also a one-club man, having spent his entire professional career with F.C. Barcelona with the exception of his appearances with the Argentinian national team. He has also captained both teams.
6: Cristiano Ronaldo – 700 Goals
The other active player on this list is the Portuguese forward Ronaldo, often considered the most famous athlete in the world. He has been subject to some of the most expensive transfers of all time, having played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. He has had an incredibly successful career ever since his debut at just 18, marked by top honours like rising to captain the Portugal national team at 22 years old. He is the oldest player ever to score a hat-trick at a World Cup and looks in no way to be slowing down in what has, so far, been an illustrious career on the pitch.
5: Gerd Müller – 735 Goals
Müller, like Seeler, is an extremely prolific German player who formerly played for the West Germans. He was the leading German scorer of all time until 2014. Nicknamed “Der Bomber” he is one of the best players Bayern Munich has ever had. Müller averaged nearly a goal a game in his career, a feat which is most definitely not to be ignored.
4: Ferenc Puskás – 746 Goals
Widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. Starting off in his homeland of Hungary, he then went on to play for Real Madrid. After retiring from playing, he moved onto a career as a coach and a manager. He was one of the top Hungarian sports personalities and there are many places dedicated to him in the country. There is also the FIFA Puskás Award which is given each year to the player who has scored what is referred to as “the most beautiful goal” of the year; something which we are certain Puskás would have been very passionate about.
3: Pelé – 767 Goals
The Brazilian Pelé is still one of the most influential footballers out there. He coined the iconic phrase “the beautiful game” and holds the Guinness World Record for goals in games; standing at 1281 goals across 1363 games. He is also still the youngest player in a World Cup final (aged just 17 years old) and the youngest hat-trick scorer in the World Cup (in the same tournament). His dedication to both football and social and political issues in Brazil make him one of the greatest footballers of all time and he is will be remembered fondly for many years to come.
2: Romário – 772 Goals
Now a politician in his home country of Brazil, Romário achieved worldwide fame with his football career. In addition to the amazing number of goals he scored in his career, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994 and was, along with Pelé, elected by the public to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002. His 1000th goal was scored in a penalty kick in 2007. His speed and trademark toe-poke finish mean that he will always be fondly remembered by football fans as a great player.
1: Josef Bican – 805 Goals
Bican was another great footballer who turned manager later in life. In addition to his phenomenal number of goals scored (which is only an estimate), he was able to sprint quickly and play with both feet. He was thought to be able to run 100 metres in 10.8 seconds, comparable with many sprinters. He was 42 when he retired and moved on to coaching the Belgian team Tongeren. While maybe not as celebrated as some of the people on this list, his contribution to football should not be forgotten.
These are just ten of the great goal scorers that football has seen. Include players from other positions and it is obvious to see the talent and dedication people all over the world devote to the game. Football has produced some of the most influential athletes the world has ever seen and we should celebrate all of them for their achievements.
