World Football: Top 50 All-Time Goal Scorers
As a Featured Columnist, I was asked by Bleacher Report to compile a list with the 50 best goalscorers of all-time.
To be honest, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of top-50s of this nature, by two reasons: on the one hand, such a long list will inevitably mix legends with not-so-legendary players (to say the least). This is probably the only list where Pelé and Raul can appear together. On the other hand, such a long list makes it quite easy to forget/leave out some players.
That said, I tried to do my best, even though I'm aware that I might have forgotten some worthy players.
I hope you enjoy this list, and please don't refrain from suggesting which other players could/should be here.
Note: This is not a ranking, just a list. In this list, players are judged solely by their ability to score goals, hence why some great players with not-so-great scoring skills might have been left out. Only players with at least five seasons at an acceptable level were considered.
Rudd Van Nistelrooy
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The Dutch striker is undoubtedly one of the best finishers of all-time and he rarely misses a chance. In 88 European matches, he scored 62 goals, a goal ratio no player can match.
He's past his prime, but he keeps scoring goals at Hamburg. He's the only player to have been the top scorer in three different leagues: the Dutch league, the Premier League and La Liga.
Ronaldo
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The Brazilian is regarded by many as one of the best all round strikers of all-time. Before his injury, his goalscoring record was otherwordly. Even after his injury, he kept scoring freely.
As of today, he's the best scorer in World Cup history and a football legend.
Di Stefano
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The best scorer in Real Madrid history was the main responsible for Real Madrid's five successive Champions League titles back in the fifties. He's still regarded as one of the best players of all-time and certainly one of the deadliest goalscorers.
Cristiano Ronaldo
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The 25-year-old Portuguese player is one of the deadliest goalscorers today. In 2007/2008 he scored 42 goals and since moving to Real Madrid he has kept his fantastic scoring form.
Gerd Müller
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Gerd Muller is one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time with national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games. He spent most of his career in Bayern Munich and he is also the second best scorer in World Cup history.
Eusébio
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Eusebio is arguably the best Portuguese player of all-time. He was the leading scorer of the Benfica team that won two European Cups and he was the top scorer in the World Cup 1966, where he led Portugal to an excellent third place finish.
Mário Jardel
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The Brazilian striker is arguably the greatest poacher of all-time. In Europe, he played for Porto, Galatasaray and Sporting and he scored 267 goals in 272 matches. In the 2001/2002 season, he scored a disbelieving 55 goals in 42 matches. He was the top scorer of the Champions League in 1999/2000 and he won the European Golden Boot in two occasions and lost one due to the use of coefficients based on each European league's standards.
Fernando Peyroteo
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The Portuguese and Sporting Lisbon striker scored 371 goals in 187 matches and has the best goals per game ratio in the history of football (2.17 goals per game).
Andriy Shevchenko
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The Ukranian striker is a legend at Dinamo Kiev and AC Milan and he is currently the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 64 goals.
His goalscoring skills have led his team to multiple trophies and have earned many individual plaudits, the Ballon d'Or in 2004 the most significant one.
Rivaldo
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Rivaldo carried Barcelona on his shoulders during one of the club's darkest periods and his goalscoring abilities proved crucial on many occasions. In the World Cup 2002, he scored 5 goals, while assisting for both Ronaldo's goals in the final.
Gary Lineker
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The English striker was a top goalscorer in every club he played and also in the English National Team. He was the best scorer in the 1986 World Cup.
Romário
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The Brazilian is one of the most gifted strikers in history and he scored lots of goals in every club he played. In 1994, he was instrumental in Brazil's World Cup success.
Marco Van Basten
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The Dutch striker was the leading goalscorer in AC Milan's Dream Team that dominated Europe in the late 80s and early 90s. His legendary goal in the Euro 1988 final is regarded by many as one of the greatest goals of all-time.
Thierry Henry
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With 226 goals and 92 assists in 369 matches, Thierry Henry is certainly the best Arsenal player of all-time. Scoring more than 30 goals a season, he led the Gunners to three Premier League titles. By moving to Barcelona, he finally managed to win that elusive Champions League, while forming, with Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o, arguably the deadliest attacking trio of all-time.
Raul Gonzalez
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While Raul's scoring average is far from the best, his consistent, although not impressive, 20-25 goals return per season makes him the best Real Madrid scorer of all-time and the second best scorer in European competition history. He's also Spain's second best all-time scorer.
David Villa
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David Villa is Spain's best all-time scorer and was the top scorer in both the Euro 2008 and the World Cup 2010. At the club level, Villa also scores quite a lot. His 0.56 goals per match ratio is impressive.
David Trezeguet
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The French striker is perhaps best known for his golden goal in the Euro 2000 final. He's one of those strikers who only need a chance to score and his numbers prove it.
Alan Shearer
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Alan Shearer is one of the best English strikers ever and also one of the best player in Premier League stories. He didn't win a lot of titles, but scoring goals was always his specialty.
Johan Cruyff
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The Dutch legend is one of the best football players of all-time. In both Ajax and Barcelona, he marked an era and scored plenty of goals to lead these teams to glory.
Just Fontaine
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The French legend is the fourth best scorer in World Cup history. The most amazing part is that all his 13 goals were scored in the same tournament in 1958. 13 goals in a single World Cup is a record no one has ever matched.
Gabriel Batistuta
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The Argentine striker is one of the greatest finishers of all-time and he terrorized the Italian defenses for a whole decade.
Sándor Kocsis
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The Hungarian forward is the third best international scorer of all-time with 75 goals, among which seven hat tricks. At the club level, he scored 295 goals in 335 matches.
Henrik Larsson
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During his Celtic years, Larsson scored freely. In his best season, he scored 53 goals in 50 matches. In the downfall of his career, he joined Barcelona and helped the blaugrana win the Champions League as an impact sub.
Samuel Eto'o
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Eto'o is quite possibly the best African player of all-time. He became a legend at Barcelona, and in his last year at Catalonia he was part of arguably the greatest attacking trio ever. He left for Inter Milan and he won the treble. This season, he has scored 17 goals in 15 matches.
Ian Rush
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Ian Rush is certainly the best Welsh striker of all-time. During his years at Liverpool, he frequently scored more than 30 goals per season and scored more than 40 on two occasions.
Filippo Inzaghi
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Inzaghi has been one of the best poachers in the game for more than a decade, and he's still going strong at 37. His recent brace against Real Madrid is a testament to his finishing skills. Inzaghi is the best scorer in European competition history with 70 goals.
Roy Makaay
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The Dutch striker was one of the most profilic goalscorers of the decade. He led Deportivo to the title in Spain and kept his scoring ways in Bayern Munich.
Didier Drogba
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Drogba is one of the best all round strikers today and one of the best African players ever. He has been the top scorer in the Premier League twice. At 32, he's in the form of his life and last season he recorded a career-best 37 goals.
Jean-Pierre Papin
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The 1991 Ballon d'Or winner made a habit of scoring more than 30 goals per season and led Marseille to their maiden Champions League title.
Denis Law
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Denis Law is one of Manchester United's best players of all-time and he was their leading scorer for an entire decade.
Del Piero
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25-30 goals a season is great for a forward, and even better for an attacking midfielder. Del Piero was the best scorer of the Champions League twice, which is remarkable.
Michel Platini
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Many believe that, despite Zidane, the infamous UEFA president is still the best French player of all-time. But that's a different debate. The truth is that the French attacking midfielder scored a fabulous 312 goals in 580 matches, which is even more amazing considering that he wasn't a forward.
Zico
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Often called the "White Pelé", Zico is one of the most skilled finishers ever and possibly the world's best player of the early 80's
Hugo Sánchez
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The best Mexican player of all-time won the pichichi in La Liga five times, four of them consecutive while becoming one of Real Madrid's greatest legends ever.
Gunnar Nordahl
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442 goals in 504 matches explain why the Swede is here. His best year were in AC Milan, where he became a legend in the 50s.
Davor Šuker
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The best Croatian player of all-time had a brilliant career in Spain with Sevilla and Real Madrid. He had his finest hour in the World Cup 1998, where he was the top scorer for the tournament and led Croatia to a unexpected third place finish.
Hristo Stoichkov
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The Bulgarian star was the star and leading scorer of Johan Cruyff's Dream Team, which says a lot about his ability. He is certainly the best Bulgarian player of all-time.
Jurgen Klinsmann
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The German is one of the best scorers in World Cup history and a legend of German football.
Miroslav Klose
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At the club level, Klose's numbers aren't even that good. But he turns into a different striker when he plays with his national team, especially at the World Cup. Klose is the second best scorer in World Cup history and in 2014 he might have a chance to become the best.
Rudi Völler
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The German striker played in several Bundesliga clubs and always scored lots of goals. He scored 47 goals with the German National Team and won the 1990 World Cup.
Héctor Yazalde
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While playing with Sporting Lisbon, Yazalde scored 46 goals in 29 matches and won the European Golden Shoe in 1974. He also played in Marseille and in some Argentinian clubs, always with success. All in all, 256 matches in 393 matches.
Telmo Zarra
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The Spaniard played all his career in Athletico Bilbao and he scored 252 goals in 278 matches, having won a record six pichichi trophies. He's still the best scorer in La Liga and Copa del Rey history.
Mario Kempes
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Among all his goals, his brace in the 1978 World Cup final is his highest moment. He led Argentina to their first ever World Cup title.
Enrique Castro González
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"Quini" won five Pichichi awards, playing mainly for Sporting Gijon of all teams. He also played at Barcelona for four years and he did what he does best: scoring freely.
Bebeto
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Yet another incredibly gifted Brazilian forward who won the World Cup and was the leading scorer in every club he played.
César Rodríguez Álvarez
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Cesar is a Barcelona legend as he scored 235 goals in 351 clubs for the blaugrana and led the club to five league titles.
Diego Armando Maradona
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Scoring wasn't exactly Maradona's forte (he was a playmaker) but it came with the package. There's a reason why many regard Maradona as the most brilliant football player of all-time.
Lionel Messi
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Lionel Messi is the deadliest goalscorer in the world today. In the past 120 matches with Barcelona, he scored 104 goals while assisting 39. At 23, it is widely believed that the most talented player of this generation will be able to at least match Maradona's accomplishment and be regarded as one of the best player ever to grace the football pitch.
Ferenc Puskás
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One of the best players of all-time and the best international scorer ever with 84 goals in 85 international matches. All in all, 558 in 564 matches. He was just unfortunate not to have won the World Cup with Hungary.
Pelé
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Honorable Mentions
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Hernan Crespo
Michael Owen
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Denis Bergkamp
Giuseppe Meazza
Josef Bican
Ali Daei
Karl Heinz Rummenigge
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Paulino Alcantara
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