Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are on the other side of 30 and still scoring for fun, but has the GOAT debate finally been settled?
The former Manchester United icon Ronaldo has continued his remarkable scoring run with a goal for Portugal at the World Cup and now has 819 goals.
He has already become the top scoring international player but where does he sit for overall career goals?
The incredible Ronaldo has moved up the all-time scoring charts in recent years and he has now overtaken Austria-Czech icon Josef Bican.
No one has scored more goals recognised by FIFA than the Portuguese superstar, who has inked his name at the top of history’s scoring charts.
Messi has now overtaken legendary trio Romario, Ferenc Puskas and Pele to move to third in the all-time chart, but Ronaldo is now at the very top.
So, who else makes the list of the top ten highest goalscorers of all time?
10. Tulio Maravilha
575 goals (total games unknown) – 1988-2019
A Brazilian journeyman who certainly had the eye for goal.
Only recently retired, Tulio played for nearly 40 clubs in his career.
9, Uwe Seeler
575+ goals (total games unknown) – 1953-1978
The German great was prolific for Hamburger but struggled to turn his goals into silverware.
He scored twice in his one and only appearance for Ireland’s Cork Celtic in 1978.
8. Ferenc Deak
576+ goals (total games unknown) – 1940-1957
One of Hungary’s best during their heyday and a legend in his home country if not as much elsewhere in the world.
Incredibly, Deak averaged over three goals per game during his career at Szentlorinci AC.
7. Gerd Muller
734 goals in 793 games – 1962-1981
The striker’s most important goal was the winner in the 1974 World Cup final as Germany beat the Netherlands 2-1 in Munich.
Muller is also Bayern Munich’s record goalscorer and has well over double the second best.
6. Ferenc Puskas
746+ goals in 754+ games – 1943-1966
Another Hungarian icon, Puskas now lends his name to the award for the most beautiful goal of each year.
He made his name in Budapest before cementing his legend at Real Madrid.
5. Pele
757 goals in 831 games – 1957-1977
One of the greatest ever and a three-time World Cup winner.
Pele scored nearly a goal-per-game during his 656 competitive games for Santos, though claims to have scored more than 1,000 times in his career.
However, it is widely accepted hundreds of those goals came during tour or friendly matches. Pele will tell you otherwise.
4. Romario
772 goals 994 games – 1985-2007
Romario lead Brazil to World Cup glory in 1994, scoring five goals in the tournament.
He enjoyed a stellar career at a number of top clubs around the world.
3. Lionel Messi
788 goals in 998 games – 2003-present
A true legend, Messi won countless awards to go along with his goals at Barcelona, including seven Ballon d’Or awards.
Now with PSG, the Argentine has a few years left to add to his remarkable tally.
Messi has already scored twice at the World Cup in Qatar, with his most recent strike in a 2-0 win over Mexico taking his tally up an incredible 788 goals.
2. Josef Bican
805+ goals in 530+ games – 1931-1956
Scoring 395 in 217 games for Slavia Prague, Bican had claimed the honour of being football’s leading goalscorer of all-time for over 60 years.
But he has now finally been trumped.
Although it is said he scored close to 1,500 goals in total during his playing days, only 805 of those were recognised by FIFA.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
819 goals in 1,136 games – 2001-present
A modern great for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Ronaldo has won everything in the game and is still going strong today, and has now added the biggest record yet to his historic career by overtaking Bican.
Ronaldo’s goal record now stands at an insane 819 goals following his most recent strike against Ghana at the World Cup. This goal made him the only player to score at five separate World Cups – and he is not done yet.
