Over the course of soccer history, there have been countless great goalscorers.
Take Zlatan Ibrahimović, for example—a master of the unexpected, scoring everything from bicycle kicks to outrageous scorpion finishes. Or Alan Shearer, the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer with 260 goals, whose thunderous right foot and uncanny knack for positioning made him a nightmare for defenders.
Even cult heroes like Michu deserve a shout. His unforgettable season with Swansea City showed what one year of magic can look like.
But some players aren’t just great—they’re unstoppable. These are the legends who scored for fun, year after year, against the best in the world, leaving defenders helpless and goalkeepers furious.
Here, we've ranked the 10 greatest goalscorers in the history of the beautiful game, based on official statistics from the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), combined with data from Transfermarkt for still active players (indicated by an asterisk).
10. Joe Bambrick (626 Goals)
Joe Bambrick isn’t a name many modern soccer fans will recognize, but in his day, he was a force to be reckoned with.
The Northern Irish striker turned out for the likes of Chelsea, Walsall, Glentoran, and most notably Linfield—where he made his name as a prolific goalscorer. So reliable was he in front of goal, fans coined the phrase: “Head, heel, or toe, slip it to Joe.”
Bambrick scored a staggering 614 goals in his club career, most of them for Linfield, and netted 12 times for Ireland, including an incredible six goals in a single match against Wales at Celtic Park in 1930—still the record haul for a British Isles player in an international fixture.
9. Gerd Müller (634 Goals)
Gerd Müller didn’t earn the nickname “Der Bomber” for nothing—he was a goal-scoring machine who punished defenses with ruthless precision.
Between 1965 and 1979, he racked up an incredible 565 goals in 607 games for Bayern Munich, including a mind-blowing 66 goals in the 1972–73 season—a club record that still stands. On the international stage, he was just as lethal, scoring 68 goals in 62 appearances for West Germany, including the game-winner in the 1974 World Cup final
8. Jimmy Jones (639 Goals)
Following the success of Joe Bambrick, another Northern Irish striker took up the mantle: Jimmy Jones. And he went one better than his predecessor—surpassing Bambrick’s career tally by 13 goals during a career spent almost entirely at home (save for a brief stint at Fulham).
Most of Jones’ goals came with Glenavon, where he won 13 major honors in 11 years and firmly cemented his status as the club’s most iconic player.
Whatever they were feeding strikers in Northern Ireland during the early days of the game, it clearly worked.
7. Robert Lewandowski (673 Goals*)
Robert Lewandowski may now be on the wrong side of 35, but he’s still scoring goals—and collecting trophies—with the hunger and sharpness of a player 10 years younger.
Season after season, he continues to find the back of the net at an astonishing rate, consistently putting himself in the race for the European Golden Shoe, which he has won twice.
Whether for his country, during his dominant spells in Germany with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, or now in Spain with FC Barcelona, the prolific Pole remains one of the most feared strikers in the game, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
6. Josef Bican (722 Goals)
Josef Bican, an Austrian-Czechoslovakian forward, was one of the most prolific and underrated strikers the sport has ever seen. Spending the bulk of his career with Slavia Prague, Bican stood out not only for his composure and strength but especially for his blistering speed.
Reports claimed he could run the 100 meters in just 10.8 seconds—remarkable athleticism for any era, let alone the 1930s and '40s.
That explosive pace translated into goals. Bican scored with incredible frequency, racking up 809 goals in just 526 official matches—a strike rate that remains virtually unmatched in football history.
5. Ferenc Puskás (725 Goals)
During the 1940s and ’50s, Ferenc Puskás terrorized defenses like few others. Nicknamed “The Galloping Major” due to his rank in the Hungarian army, he became a national hero with Budapest Honvéd, where he racked up a staggering 358 goals in just 350 appearances — outscoring games played with ruthless regularity.
Many assumed his best years were behind him when he joined Real Madrid at age 31. Instead, he only elevated his legend, scoring 242 more goals over the next eight seasons and helping the Spanish giants dominate Europe.
By the time he hung up his boots, Puskás had collected three European Cups, five La Liga titles, and an Olympic gold medal––not to mention a permanent place in soccer history. Today, FIFA’s Puskás Award, honoring the most beautiful goal each year, ensures his name lives on in style.
4. Romário (756 Goals)
Romário has long claimed to have scored over 1,000 career goals—though official records put that number at 756, which is still nothing short of legendary.
Whether it was in the Netherlands with PSV, Spain with FC Barcelona, or back home in Brazil with the likes of Vasco da Gama, Fluminense, and Flamengo, Romário found the back of the net with remarkable consistency. Dutch icon Johan Cruyff once called him a “genius of the goal area” and even named him the greatest player he ever coached.
And Romário himself has never been shy about his talents—famously claiming he was “twice as good" as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. A bold take, sure, but if anyone had the stats and swagger to back it up, it was him.
3. Pelé (762 Goals)
Like Romário, Pelé claimed to have scored far more goals than official records suggest—a staggering 1,279 by his count. Regardless of the exact number, there’s no denying he was one of the greatest goal scorers the game has ever known—and arguably its most iconic figure.
As soccer’s first true global superstar, Pelé’s samba flair and magnetic style redefined the sport, dazzling fans and defenders alike. He remains the only player in history to win three FIFA World Cups—a feat unlikely to ever be matched.
Simply put, Pelé didn’t just score goals—he changed the game forever.
2. Lionel Messi (866 Goals*)
Many have tried—and failed—to stop Lionel Messi. No matter the opposition, he always finds a way to score. Whether it’s curling in exquisite free-kicks, firing shots from inside the box, or, as often happens, taking matters completely into his own hands—dribbling past nearly an entire team before delicately chipping the goalkeeper.
He leaves defenders sprawled on the ground, fans speechless, and commentators struggling for words.
But Messi is more than just a phenomenal goalscorer. As Gary Lineker put it, he’s the best passer the game has ever seen, the best assister, the best dribbler—basically, he’s simply the best. Period.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (938 Goals*)
One area where Messi doesn’t quite lead—at least statistically—is simply putting the ball in the back of the net. That crown belongs to his great rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.
No one has matched the Portuguese legend’s scoring prowess. Whether it’s right foot, left foot, headers, volleys, free kicks, or penalties, Ronaldo is an unstoppable goal machine, on a mission to become the first player in history to score 1,000 official goals.
Some critics argue he’s padding his stats in the Saudi Pro League and against lesser international teams with Portugal, but there’s no denying his incredible consistency and lethal finishing remain unmatched.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Most Goals in Soccer History: Ranking the Top 10 Players.
