Who is the player with the highest goals in football history? Messi and Pele's rankings revealed

The most direct way to win a football match is to score goals, and those who do so consistently are often regarded as the greatest players of all time. Over more than a century of modern football, the sport has witnessed many outstanding goal scorers, with the very best becoming true icons. Below, livescorecz.net named the player with the highest goals in football history.

Who is the player with the highest goals in football history?

Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading goalscorer in the history of world football. The Portuguese forward has scored 961 career goals and continues to chase the 1,000-goal milestone. Across all major goal-related records, Ronaldo stands at the top, holding the all-time scoring record in the UEFA Champions League, leading the scoring charts for his national team, and ranking among the top scorers at club level.

Ronaldo’s goals have come in many forms, including 182 with his left foot, 620 with his right foot, and 156 headers. Thanks to this remarkable scoring record, he has won numerous titles and individual awards throughout his career. However, one major achievement still eludes him: the FIFA World Cup. The 2026 World Cup in North America is expected to be his final opportunity to complete his trophy collection.

Top 10 goalscorers in football history

Second on the list is Ronaldo’s long-time rival, Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami star has scored 896 goals in 1,137 matches and provided 407 assists, making him the all-time leader in assists in football history. Beyond his goal output, Messi’s statistics include 105 goals from outside the penalty area, 752 goals with his left foot, and 439 Man of the Match awards, accounting for roughly one-third of his career appearances.

In terms of trophies, Messi is the most decorated player in football history. While his Champions League record does not match Ronaldo’s, he dominates in several other areas, most notably the Ballon d’Or, which he has won eight times. He also led Argentina to their first World Cup title in 36 years, lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022.

Third on the list is Pelé, often referred to as the “King of Football,” with 767 officially recorded goals. While some sources claim Pelé scored more than 1,000 goals, many of these came in unofficial matches. Modern estimates place his total closer to 700, which still ranks him among the greatest scorers of all time.

Pelé’s legacy extends far beyond his goal tally. The Brazilian legend won three World Cups in 1958, 1962, and 1970, a record no other player has matched. Toward the end of his career, he played for the New York Cosmos before retiring from professional football at the age of 37.

Romário ranks fourth, with 755 recorded goals across a 22-year career that included spells at 10 different clubs. He is best remembered for his time at PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona. At PSV, he maintained an almost one-goal-per-game ratio over five seasons, winning three league titles and a domestic cup. After joining Barcelona in 1994, he continued his prolific scoring form. At international level, he also ranked among Brazil’s top scorers, trailing only Neymar, Pelé, and Ronaldo.

Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás sits fifth on the list with 729 goals over 23 years. His career peaked after joining Real Madrid in 1956, where he became a key figure in the club’s dominance during the first five editions of the European Cup from 1956 to 1960. That team featured stars such as Alfredo Di Stéfano, Francisco Gento, and Raymond Kopa. In recognition of his legacy, FIFA introduced the Puskás Award in 2009, presented annually for the most aesthetically impressive goal.

Another iconic name is Josef Bican, the Austrian-born striker who represented Czechoslovakia. Renowned for his extraordinary scoring rate, he remained prolific even during the World War II era. While Bican claimed to have scored as many as 5,000 goals, modern estimates place his total at around 720. He still holds several remarkable records, including scoring in 19 consecutive top-level matches and finishing as the world’s top scorer for five consecutive years.

Above, Live Score CZ just named the players with the highest goals in football history. With the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, whose statistics are well documented, many earlier players’ records are based on incomplete historical data. Nevertheless, their achievements continue to define football history. For more articles on legendary players and football records, you can read more here.