100 Greatest Footballers of All Time

Argentine·Football

Lionel Messi

Argentine footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, known for his dribbling, vision, and goal-scoring ability.

569 career goals · 112 international goals

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2

EP

Brazilian·Football

Edson Pelé

Three-time World Cup winner widely considered the greatest footballer of all time. Scored 757 career goals for Santos and Brazil.

680 career goals · 77 international goals

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3

DM

Argentine·Football

Diego Maradona

Argentine footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, famous for leading Argentina to 1986 World Cup victory with

259 career goals · 34 international goals

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4

CR

Portuguese·Football

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portuguese footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, five-time Ballon d'Or winner and all-time international to

600 career goals · 135 international goals

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5

JC

Dutch·Football

Johan Cruyff

Dutch football legend and three-time Ballon d'Or winner who revolutionized the game with Total Football and is considered one of the greates

294 career goals · 33 international goals

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6

RN

Brazilian·Football

Ronaldo Nazário

Brazilian striker widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, known for his pace, skill and clinical finishing ability.

280 career goals · 62 international goals

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7

ZZ

French·Football

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane was born in Marseille in 1972 to Algerian immigrant parents and grew up in the La Castellane housing project.

95 career goals · 31 international goals

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8

RG

Brazilian·Football

Ronaldinho Gaucho

The most joyful footballer who ever played — two Ballon d'Or, a World Cup and the Barcelona performance that made Real Madrid fans applaud.

205 career goals · 33 international goals

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9

FB

German·Football

Franz Beckenbauer

Der Kaiser — German footballer and manager who won the World Cup both as player (1974) and manager (1990), and defined the libero role.

79 career goals · 14 international goals

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10

AD

Argentine/Spanish·Football

Alfredo di Stéfano

Argentine-Spanish footballer considered one of the greatest players of all time, led Real Madrid to five consecutive European Cup victories

376 career goals · 23 international goals

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11

TH

French·Football

Thierry Henry

Thierry Daniel Henry was born in Les Ulis, France in 1977 and began his professional career as a winger at Monaco before an unsuccessful spe

290 career goals · 51 international goals

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12

MV

Dutch·Football

Marco van Basten

Marco van Basten was born in Utrecht in 1964 and became, during the seven seasons of his peak, the most complete centre-forward in the histo

218 career goals · 24 international goals

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13

ED

Mozambican/Portuguese·Football

Eusébio da Silva

The Black Panther — Benfica's greatest ever player and the first truly global African football star. Born in Mozambique, he scored 733 goals

424 career goals · 41 international goals

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14

MG

Brazilian·Football

Manuel Garrincha

Brazil's right winger who never lost a match in which he and Pelé played together — a dribbler of supernatural ability.

232 career goals · 12 international goals

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15

GM

German·Football

Gerd Müller

Der Bomber — Germany's World Cup winner and Bayern Munich legend whose 365 Bundesliga goals were a record that stood for 49 years.

487 career goals · 68 international goals

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16

XH

Spanish·Football

Xavi Hernández

Spanish footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, instrumental in Spain's golden era and Barcelona's tiki-t

81 career goals · 13 international goals

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17

AI

Spanish·Football

Andrés Iniesta

Spanish midfielder widely regarded as one of football's greatest playmakers, scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final for Spain.

66 career goals · 13 international goals

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18

FP

Hungarian/Spanish·Football

Ferenc Puskás

Real Madrid's Golden Age striker and captain of the Mighty Magyars — one of the greatest scorers in football history.

670 career goals · 84 international goals

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19

RB

Italian·Football

Roberto Baggio

The Divine Ponytail — Italy's 1994 World Cup Golden Boot winner whose missed penalty in the final defined and haunted his career.

218 career goals · 27 international goals

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20

GB

Northern Irish·Football

George Best

Manchester United's mercurial genius — European Footballer of the Year 1968 and arguably the most naturally gifted British player of all tim

179 career goals · 9 international goals

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21

PM

Italian·Football

Paolo Maldini

Paolo Cesare Maldini was born in Milan in 1968, the son of AC Milan captain Cesare Maldini, and joined the club's youth academy at ten.

4 career goals · 7 international goals

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22

MP

French·Football

Michel Platini

Three-time European Footballer of the Year and France's greatest player of his generation — a playmaker of rare elegance and lethal scoring

158 career goals · 41 international goals

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23

RC

Brazilian·Football

Roberto Carlos

Brazilian footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest left-backs of all time, known for his powerful free-kicks and attacking style at

69 career goals · 11 international goals

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24

MC

Brazilian·Football

Marcos Cafu

Brazilian football right-back widely regarded as one of the greatest full-backs in history, known for his attacking prowess and World Cup su

44 career goals · 5 international goals

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25

LY

Soviet·Football

Lev Yashin

Soviet football goalkeeper, widely regarded as the greatest goalkeeper of all time. Won Ballon d'Or in 1963, the only keeper to achieve this

Olympic Gold 1956 (USSR)

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26

RD

Brazilian·Football

Romário de Souza

Brazil's 1994 World Cup winner and scorer of over 1,000 career goals — a natural finisher of almost supernatural efficiency.

524 career goals · 55 international goals

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27

AZ

Brazilian·Football

Arthur Zico

Brazilian football legend known as one of the greatest attacking midfielders ever, master of free kicks and creative playmaker for Flamengo

200 career goals · 66 international goals

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28

SB

Brazilian·Football

Sócrates Brasileiro

Brazilian footballer and intellectual known as 'Doctor Socrates', captained Brazil in two World Cups and was a key figure in Corinthians Dem

223 career goals · 22 international goals

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29

RK

Brazilian·Football

Ricardo Kaká

Brazilian footballer who won the 2007 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, known for his elegant playmaking and technical brillian

149 career goals · 29 international goals

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30

LS

Uruguayan·Football

Luis Suárez

Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz was born in Salto, Uruguay in 1987 and became one of the most prolific and controversial strikers in Premier League

421 career goals · 69 international goals

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31

NJ

Brazilian·Football

Neymar Jr.

Brazilian forward and one of the world's most skillful players, known for his dribbling, creativity, and flair on the pitch.

274 career goals · 79 international goals

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32

RF

Brazilian·Football

Rivaldo Ferreira

Brazil's World Cup winner and Ballon d'Or holder whose bicycle kick goals and creative brilliance lit up the late 1990s.

311 career goals · 35 international goals

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33

AD

Italian·Football

Alessandro Del Piero

Italian football legend and attacking midfielder/forward who captained Juventus for over a decade and won the 2006 World Cup with Italy

234 career goals · 27 international goals

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34

PL

German·Football

Philipp Lahm

German football defender and midfielder who captained Bayern Munich and Germany to multiple titles, including the 2014 World Cup and 2013 Ch

7 career goals · 5 international goals

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35

SR

Spanish·Football

Sergio Ramos

Spanish footballer and centre-back, widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time with over 180 international caps for Spain.

89 career goals · 23 international goals

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36

FR

Dutch·Football

Frank Rijkaard

Dutch defensive midfielder and one third of AC Milan's legendary 'Dutch Trio', who won two European Cups with Milan and the 1988 European Ch

75 career goals · 10 international goals

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37

DB

Dutch·Football

Dennis Bergkamp

Dutch footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest forwards and playmakers in football history, known for his technical brilliance and

201 career goals · 37 international goals

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38

AS

English·Football

Alan Shearer

Premier League all-time top scorer with 260 goals, a Newcastle United icon and England striker of rare power and consistency.

283 career goals · 30 international goals

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39

RG

Welsh·Football

Ryan Giggs

The most decorated player in English football history with 13 Premier League titles, known for longevity and creativity over three decades.

114 career goals · 12 international goals

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40

SG

English·Football

Steven Gerrard

English footballer and midfielder who captained Liverpool for over a decade, leading them to Champions League glory in 2005 and becoming a c

125 career goals · 21 international goals

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41

FL

English·Football

Frank Lampard

Frank James Lampard was born in Romford in 1978, the son of West Ham vice-chairman Frank Lampard Sr.

193 career goals · 29 international goals

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42

PS

English·Football

Paul Scholes

English midfielder regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, known for his passing range, vision, and goal-scoring ability

155 career goals · 14 international goals

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43

BC

English·Football

Bobby Charlton

Manchester United and England legend, Munich air disaster survivor, World Cup winner and one of the greatest players in the history of the g

211 career goals · 49 international goals

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44

PS

Danish·Football

Peter Schmeichel

Danish goalkeeper widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, famous for his commanding presence and leadership at Manchester United

1 career goals · 1 international goals

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45

ML

Danish·Football

Michael Laudrup

Danish footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest playmakers of all time, who won La Liga with both Barcelona and Real Madrid in the

97 career goals · 37 international goals

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46

GZ

Italian·Football

Gianfranco Zola

The little magician — voted Chelsea's greatest ever player by the fans who watched him.

193 career goals · 10 international goals

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47

RL

Polish·Football

Robert Lewandowski

One of football's most prolific strikers of the modern era — winner of two Bundesliga top scorer records and Poland's greatest footballer.

479 career goals · 82 international goals

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48

ZI

Swedish·Football

Zlatan Ibrahimović

Swedish striker and one of football's most prolific goalscorers, known for his acrobatic goals, technical ability, and charismatic personali

405 career goals · 62 international goals

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49

HK

English·Football

Harry Kane

England's all-time leading goalscorer and one of the Premier League's most prolific strikers — a complete centre-forward of exceptional qual

325 career goals · 68 international goals

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50

AH

Norwegian·Football

Ada Hegerberg

Norwegian striker and first-ever women's Ballon d'Or winner, widely regarded as one of the greatest female footballers of all time with prol

229 career goals · 44 international goals

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51

BP

German·Football

Birgit Prinz

German footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest women's players of all time, three-time FIFA World Player of the Year and two-time

282 career goals · 128 international goals

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52

CS

Canadian·Football

Christine Sinclair

Canadian forward and the all-time leading international goalscorer in football history, male or female, with 190 goals for Canada across a 2

139 career goals · 190 international goals

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53

KL

Scottish·Football

Kim Little

Scottish footballer and Arsenal captain, widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in women's football history with over 150 intern

361 career goals · 59 international goals

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54

MV

Brazilian·Football

Marta Vieira

Brazilian footballer widely regarded as the greatest female player of all time, six-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner and all-time W

303 career goals · 117 international goals

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55

AW

American·Football

Abby Wambach

American soccer forward who became the all-time leading international goalscorer in soccer history with 184 goals in 256 appearances for the

75 career goals · 184 international goals

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56

B

Brazilian·Football

Bebeto

Brazilian footballer regarded as one of the greatest strikers of the 1990s, World Cup winner in 1994 and prolific goalscorer for club and co

366 career goals · 39 international goals

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57

RM

Cameroonian·Football

Roger Milla

The dancing goalscorer who captivated the 1990 World Cup — the first African to truly capture global attention at a World Cup.

413 career goals · 43 international goals

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58

VM

Dutch·Football

Vivianne Miedema

Dutch footballer and striker, Netherlands' all-time leading goalscorer and one of the most prolific forwards in women's football history.

210 career goals · 95 international goals

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59

OG

French·Football

Olivier Giroud

French striker who became France's all-time leading goalscorer with 57 international goals, winning the 2018 World Cup and known for spectac

341 career goals · 57 international goals

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60

JG

English·Football

Jimmy Greaves

The most natural goalscorer in English football history, whose prolific record across club and country remains astonishing.

366 career goals · 44 international goals

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61

ED

Bosnian·Football

Edin Džeko

Powerful Bosnian striker who scored crucial goals for Manchester City and became one of Serie A's most prolific forwards at Roma.

289 career goals · 65 international goals

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62

DV

Spanish·Football

David Villa

Spanish striker who became his country's all-time leading scorer with 59 goals in 98 appearances, winning World Cup 2010 and Euro 2008 and 2

330 career goals · 59 international goals

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63

RG

Spanish·Football

Raúl González

Spanish football legend and Real Madrid icon, third-highest scorer in Champions League history with 71 goals and World Cup winner in 2010.

291 career goals · 44 international goals

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64

MK

German·Football

Miroslav Klose

The FIFA World Cup's all-time leading scorer with 16 goals — Germany's World Cup winner in 2014 and one of international football's most pro

233 career goals · 71 international goals

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65

GB

Argentine·Football

Gabriel Batistuta

Batigol — the most prolific Argentine striker of his generation and one of the most feared centre-forwards of the 1990s.

249 career goals · 56 international goals

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66

KB

French·Football

Karim Benzema

Real Madrid's Ballon d'Or winner in 2022 and the club's all-time Champions League scorer — a complete centre-forward of exceptional quality.

343 career goals · 37 international goals

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67

KM

French·Football

Kylian Mbappé

French footballer born in 1998, widely regarded as one of the world's best players. FIFA World Cup winner in 2018, known for exceptional pac

251 career goals · 53 international goals

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68

RL

Belgian·Football

Romelu Lukaku

Belgian striker who became Belgium's all-time leading scorer and one of Europe's most prolific goalscorers with over 300 career goals for cl

239 career goals · 85 international goals

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69

IZ

Chilean·Football

Iván Zamorano

Prolific and combative Chilean striker nicknamed 'Bam Bam' who was among the most feared forwards in South America and Spain during the 1990

247 career goals · 34 international goals

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70

CL

American·Football

Carli Lloyd

American soccer midfielder and forward, two-time FIFA World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist, known for clutch performances in major tou

78 career goals · 134 international goals

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71

MH

American·Football

Mia Hamm

American soccer forward who became the face of women's soccer, winning two World Cups and two Olympic golds while scoring 158 international

158 international goals

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72

IW

British·Football

Ian Wright

English striker who scored 387 career goals, became Arsenal's all-time leading scorer, and earned 33 England caps with 9 goals in a prolific

387 career goals · 9 international goals

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73

RF

Colombian·Football

Radamel Falcao

Colombian striker widely regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers of his generation, famous for his clinical finishing and aerial ability

333 career goals · 36 international goals

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74

SE

Cameroonian·Football

Samuel Eto'o

Africa's greatest footballer of his era — four-time African Player of the Year and Champions League winner with Barcelona and Inter Milan.

293 career goals · 56 international goals

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75

EC

Uruguayan·Football

Edinson Cavani

PSG's all-time leading scorer — the most dedicated professional of his generation and one of football's great out-and-out strikers.

288 career goals · 58 international goals

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76

HL

Swedish·Football

Henrik Larsson

The King of Kings — Henrik Larsson is the greatest player in Celtic's history and one of the finest strikers Scotland's league has ever seen

328 career goals · 37 international goals

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77

JA

Irish·Football

John Aldridge

Republic of Ireland legend and Liverpool striker who scored 330 professional goals — one of the most lethal penalty takers in football histo

362 career goals · 19 international goals

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78

MS

Egyptian·Football

Mohamed Salah

Egyptian footballer and Liverpool winger, known for his prolific goal-scoring, pace, and being one of the greatest African players in Premie

248 career goals · 71 international goals

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79

PA

Gabonese·Football

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Africa's striker of the decade — Arsenal's Golden Boot winner and the fastest player over short distances in the Premier League.

329 career goals · 30 international goals

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80

AM

American·Football

Alex Morgan

American professional soccer player and forward who became one of the most recognizable faces in women's soccer, winning two FIFA World Cups

81 career goals · 123 international goals

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81

RK

Irish·Football

Robbie Keane

Republic of Ireland's all-time leading scorer and one of the most consistent strikers to have played in the Premier League.

251 career goals · 68 international goals

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82

SA

Argentine·Football

Sergio Agüero

Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo was born in Quilmes, Buenos Aires in 1988 and joined Independiente at nine, making his debut at 15.

282 career goals · 41 international goals

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83

HŞ

Turkish·Football

Hakan Şükür

Turkey's greatest footballer and the scorer of the fastest goal in World Cup history — Hakan Şükür's strike after 11 seconds against South K

258 career goals · 51 international goals

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84

LV

Spanish·Football

Lucas Vázquez

Versatile and hardworking Real Madrid stalwart who reinvented himself from winger to right-back and won six Champions Leagues.

47 career goals · 1 international goals

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85

SK

Australian·Football

Sam Kerr

Australian professional footballer and striker, widely regarded as one of the greatest women's footballers of all time with over 100 interna

213 career goals · 69 international goals

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86

TC

Peruvian·Football

Teófilo Cubillas

Peru's greatest footballer and one of the finest players of the 1970s — scored 10 World Cup goals across two tournaments.

297 career goals · 26 international goals

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87

CB

South Korean·Football

Cha Bum-kun

South Korea's first football superstar, a fearless and prolific goal-poacher who took Europe by storm during a dazzling career in the Bundes

230 career goals · 58 international goals

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88

PP

Portuguese·Football

Pedro Pauleta

Portuguese striker who became Portugal's all-time leading goalscorer with 47 international goals, renowned for clinical finishing in French

234 career goals · 47 international goals

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89

WR

English·Football

Wayne Rooney

English footballer and Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals, earning 120 England caps and scoring 53 international

237 career goals · 53 international goals

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90

DD

Ivorian·Football

Didier Drogba

Ivorian striker who became Chelsea's greatest ever player, scoring 164 goals in 381 appearances and leading them to their first Champions Le

212 career goals · 65 international goals

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91

FH

Spanish·Football

Fernando Hierro

Legendary Real Madrid captain who combined defensive excellence with prolific goalscoring, winning five La Liga titles and three Champions L

163 career goals · 29 international goals

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92

GH

Argentine·Football

Gonzalo Higuaín

One of Serie A's most prolific strikers — holder of the single-season Serie A scoring record with 36 goals for Napoli in 2015-16.

279 career goals · 31 international goals

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93

EH

Norwegian·Football

Erling Haaland

The most prolific striker in the history of the Premier League — whose 36-goal season in 2022-23 smashed every existing record and whose phy

225 career goals · 55 international goals

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94

GL

English·Football

Gary Lineker

England's third-highest goalscorer and 1986 World Cup Golden Boot winner, renowned for his clinical finishing and sportsmanship.

238 career goals · 48 international goals

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95

AS

Ukrainian·Football

Andriy Shevchenko

Ukrainian football striker and Ballon d'Or winner, legendary AC Milan goalscorer who became Ukraine's all-time leading scorer with 48 intern

235 career goals · 48 international goals

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96

ÁM

Spanish·Football

Álvaro Morata

Spanish striker known for his aerial ability, movement in the box, and crucial goals in major tournaments including Euro 2024 where he was S

178 career goals · 36 international goals

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97

FI

Italian·Football

Filippo Inzaghi

The ultimate poacher — a predatory striker who lived on the shoulder of the last defender and became AC Milan's Champions League talisman.

199 career goals · 25 international goals

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98

AM

Scottish·Football

Ally McCoist

Rangers' all-time leading scorer with 355 goals — the most prolific striker in Scottish football history and a cult hero at Ibrox.

290 career goals · 19 international goals

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99

TM

German·Football

Thomas Müller

Bayern Munich's legendary "Raumdeuter" (space interpreter) — World Cup winner and one of football's most intelligent attackers.

178 career goals · 45 international goals

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100

AD

Iranian·Football

Ali Daei

Iranian footballer who became the first player to score 100+ international goals, netting 109 times for Iran and playing for Bayern Munich i

109 career goals · 109 international goals

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