Prolific Scorers Data


See also the file Players with Thousand Matches or Thereabouts.


NB: last updated after matches on Dec 31, 2023.

Best Goalscorers All-Time (Official Matches)
Best Goalscorers All-Time (All Matches)
Best Goalscorers All-Time (Official Matches - Top level)
Best Goalscorers All-Time (All Matches - Top level)
Best League Goalscorers All-Time
Before reaching 30 Years of age
After reaching 30 Years of age
International matches/Selects
One team (official matches)
One team (all matches)
One season (official matches)
One season (all matches)
One season (all matches – Top level)
10 consecutive seasons
Official matches with goals


Best Goalscorers All-Time (Official Matches)

- only famous players with verified statistics (mostly with the data in each match)
- the sources: club books or historical websites, old press.
- the statistics of players in African and Australian competitions need detailed data:
  Peyroteo, Milla, Chitalu (over 500 goals), Alfred Quill (over 800 goals),
  Reginald Date (over 600 goals) etc.

included: 
- all leagues (incl. regional-, reserve-, amateur-) 
- national and international cups 
- all selections: A, B, Ol, U, league, armee, senior, regional, city, etc. - against the same selections 
- other official tournaments 
- some traditional international tournaments (e.g. Intertoto since 1961, Alpencup etc.) 
- several traditional national tournaments and games (organized by the football union),
  e.g. pre-season tournaments in Hungary (1930th-1970th), Germany (since 1990th),
       winter tournament in Prague (1940th, always with Slavia and Sparta),
       summer war tournaments, all-star games (MLS, South Korea, Japan),
       FIFA/UEFA sel. and others 
- all cancelled games 
							 	 		G.	M.

1	Helmchen, Erwin		(Germany)	 	1907	1924-1951	987+	577
2	Bican, Josef		(Austria, CSR/Сzech)	1913	1930-1957	950+	624  
3	Rooke, Ronald		(England)	 	1911	1929-1961	934+	1029 #
4	Ronaldo, Cristiano	(Portugal)	 	1985	2002-		891	1240*
5	Messi, Lionel		(Argentina)	 	1987	2003-		850	1103*
6 	Jones, James		(North Ireland)		1928	1944-1965	840+	756 
7	Puskás, Ferenc		(Hungary)	 	1927	1943-1967	802	792 
8	Deak, Ferenc  		(Hungary)	 	1922	1939-1959	796+	515 # 
9	Lenstra, Abe		(Netherlands)		1920	1936-1964	789+	850 
10	Romário			(Brazil)	 	1966	1984-2009	785	1003 
11	Pelé		 	(Brazil)	 	1940	1956-1977	778	851 
12	Lawton, Tommy		(England)	 	1919	1935-1957	743+	827
13	Müller, Gerd		(Germany)	 	1945	1963-1981	735	793
14	Hughes, Samuel „Sammy“ (North Ireland)		1926	1943-1963	723+	749 # 
15	Bambrick, Joe		(North Ireland)		1905	1925-1943	690+	578
16	Willimowski, Ernst	(Poland, Germany) 	1916	1932-1957	683+	484 
17	Waring, Thomas „Pongo“	(England)		1906	1924-1948	670+	700+
18	Lewandowski, Robert	(Poland)	 	1988	2004-		667	962 *
19	Bene, Ferenc		(Hungary)	 	1944	1959-1985	635	971  
20	Eusebio			(Portugal)	 	1942	1960-1978	626+	658 
21	Smith, Joseph „Joe“	(England)		1889	1908-1931	616+	903 
22	Martin, David "Boy"	(North Ireland)		1914	1930-1947	611+	527
23	Zsengeller, Gyula 	(Hungary)	 	1915	1931-1953	611+	649
24	Roberts, Frederick	(North Ireland)		1905	1922-1937	608+	468 
25	Mortensen, Stanley	(England)		1921	1938-1962	606+	810 
26	Peyroteo, Fernando	(Portugal)	 	1918	1937-1949	598	369 
27	Greaves, James		(England)	 	1940	1956-1980	590+	842  
28	Seeler, Uwe	 	(Germany)	 	1936	1954-1972	586	688 
29	Walter, Fritz		(Germany)	 	1920	1938-1959	586+	583 
30	Tulio „Maravilha“ 	(Brazil)	 	1969	1987-2014	585	950+
31	Ibrahimovic, Zlatan	(Sweden)	 	1981	1999-2023	582	1001
32	Kelly, James		(North Ireland)		1911	1925-1957	571+	1000
33	Schlosser, Imre		(Hungary) 		1889	1906-1928	570	464
34	Ferguson, Glenn		(North Ireland)		1969	1987-2011	569	1084
35	Binder, Franz		(Austria)	 	1911	1927-1949	569+	431
36	Dean, William "Dixie"	(England) 		1907	1923-1940	568	612 
37	Gallacher, Hugh 	(Scotland)	 	1903	1920-1940	566+	715  
38	Aldridge, John		(Ireland)	 	1958	1976-1998	565+	990 
39	Suárez, Luis		(Uruguay) 		1987	2005-		563	950 *
40	Sanchez, Hugo		(Mexico)	 	1958	1974-1998	562	956
41	Torres, Jose		(Portugal)	 	1938	1958-1980	561	615
42	McGrory, James		(Scotland)	 	1904	1922-1938	558	549 
43	Kocsis, Sandor		(Hungary)	 	1929	1946-1966	556	537
44	Langara, Isidro		(Spain)			1912	1930-1948	556+	445 
45	Dechamps, Paul		(Belgium)		1921	1939-1964	552+	608
46	Wilson, David		(England)		1908	1927-1947	551+	605
47	Dickson, Thomas		(North Ireland)		1929	1946-1966	546+	782
48	Zico		 	(Brazil)	 	1954	1971-1994	546	798 
49	Szusza, Ferenc		(Hungary)	 	1923	1940-1961	544	600 # 
50	Halliday, David		(Scotland)		1902	1920-1938	543+	640
51	Dodds, Ephraim „Jock“	(Scotland)	 	1915	1932-1950	542	612  
52	Takacs II, Jozsef 	(Hungary)	 	1904	1920-1942	542	528
53	Smith, James		(Scotland)		1911	1928-1947	540+	516
54	Ferguson, Hugh		(Scotland)		1895	1914-1930	528+	559
55	di Stefano, Alfredo	(Argentina, Spain)	1926	1945-1966	524	720 #  
56	Hidegkuti, Nandor 	(Hungary)  		1922	1938-1958	523	674 # 
57	Dickson, Desmond	(North Ireland)		1948	1964-1983	523+	716
58	Westcott, Dennis	(England)		1917	1933-1954	522+	575
59	Roberto „Dinamite“	(Brazil)	 	1954	1971-1992	519	869 
60	Krankl, Johann		(Austria)	 	1953	1970-1989	518	725
61	Mermans, Joseph		(Belgium)	 	1922	1937-1960	518	644
62	Nordahl, Gunnar		(Sweden) 		1921	1936-1961	514+	597 
63	Chinaglia, Giorgio	(Italy)			1947	1962-1990	512+ 	707
64	Thompson, Trevor	(North Ireland)		1936	1955-1969	512+	589 #
65	McLean, David		(Scotland)		1890	1906-1931	511+	801
66	Sarosi, Gyorg, Dr.	(Hungary)	 	1912	1929-1948	511	607 # 
67	Benzema, Karim		(France)		1987	2004-		507	973* NEW
68	Auer (Avar), Stefan	(Romania/Hungary)	1905	1922-1949	507+	449 # 
69	van der Kuijlen, Willy	(Netherland)		1946	1962-1983	504	807
70	Milla, Roger		(Camerun)	 	1952	1968-1996	504+	907
71	Bloomer, Stephen	(England)	 	1874	1891-1920	504	755
72	De Cleyn, Albert	(Belgium)		1917	1933-1955	503	588
73	Camsell, Georg		(England)		1902	1923-1942	503+	590
74	Guy, Dennis		(North Ireland)		1944	1960-1976	503+	630
75	Rowley, Arthur		(England)	 	1926	1941-1967	502+	729
76	Tichy, Lajos		(Hungary)	 	1936	1952-1971	500	628

NB: 	* indicates player is still active (at last update);
	+ indicates number is a lower bound - player may have scored more;
	# corrected or added data after last update (only inactive players). 

Notes: there may be other players with 500 or more goals.

Best Goalscorers All-Time (All Matches)

		 	Goals		Matches
Tichy, Lajos		1917		1307 
Bican, Josef		1813+ 		1089
Helmchen, Erwin		1611+		 936
Puskas, Ferenc		1569+		1270 
Müller, Gerhard		1483		1228
Bene, Ferenc		1425+		1480  
Deak, Ferenc		1375+		 839 # 
Pele			1324		1413 
Takacs II, Jozsef 	1214+		 940  
Binder, Franz		1202+		 832
Kocsis, Sandor		1185+		 905 
Szusza, Ferenc		1155+		1029 # 
Szilagyi, Guyla		1114+		 919
Sarosi, György		1098+		1051 NEW
Willimowski, Ernst	1077+		 688 
Zsengeller, Gyula 	1076+		 961 
Hidegkuti, Nandor  	1043+		1074 # 
Rooke, Ronald		1031+		1104 #
Lenstra, Abe		1030+		1099   
Albert, Florian		1017+		1093 
Schlosser, Imre		1016+	 	 800 
Auer (Avar), Stefan	1007+		 780 NEW 
Romario			1002		1209 

Best Goalscorers All-Time (Official Matches - Top level)

NB: preliminary list

Ronaldo, Cristiano	875*
Messi, Lionel		823*
Pele			770 
Romario			761
Puskas, Ferenc		760  
Bican, Josef		743
Jones, James		660 
Lenstra, Abe		645 
Müller, Gerhard		640
Bambrick, Joseph	634  
Lewandowski, Robert	612*
Peyroteo, Fernando	591
Seeler, Uwe		567
Ferguson, Glenn		563
Ibrahimovic, Zlatan	562
Suárez, Luis		561*
McGrory, James		558
Eusebio			555 
Schlosser, Imre		554
di Stefano, Alfredo	524 
Roberto Dinamite	514
Zsengeller, Gyula	513 
Zico			511
Sanchez, Hugo		507 
Bene, Ferenc		506 #
Kocsis, Sandor		505 
Sarosi, György		505 # 

Best Goalscorers All-Time (All Matches - Top level)

NB: preliminary list containing:

1. Official goals in top level;
2. All international friendlies;
3. National friendlies against top-league teams; tournaments; select matches.

Pele			770	396	108	1274
Bican, Josef		743	195	143	1081
Puskas, Ferenc		761	179	 71	1011

NB: most likely only these 3 players scored over 1000 goals at this level in football history.

Best League Goalscorers All-Time

(all leagues incl. regional/ reserve leagues, final tournaments)

Rooke, Ronald		768+ # (over 418 goals in Regional/Reserve Leagues)
Helmchen, Erwin		720+
Lenstra, Abe		682+ 
Bican, Josef		676+
Deak, Ferenc		648+ 
Puskas, Ferenc		548
Romario			546
Pele		 	538
Ronaldo, Cristiano	532*
Messi, Lionel		508*
Müller, Gerhard		497
Tulio „Maravilha“ 	497 
Zsengeller, Gyula 	490
Jones, James		485+ 
Lawton, Thomas		483+  
Roberto Dinamite 	476 
Mermans, Joseph		475
Walter, Fritz		469+
Langara, Isidro		469
De Cleyn, Albert 	469  
 
(only top leagues)

Ronaldo, Cristiano	532*
Bican, Josef		526
Puskas, Ferenc		516
Messi, Lionel		497*
De Cleyn, Albert 	431 
Schlosser, Imre		417
Zsengeller, Gyula 	416
McGrory, James		408
Müller, Gerhard		405
Sanchez, Hugo		394
Ibrahimovic, Zlatan	394
Szusza, Ferenc		393
Bianchi, Carlos		385

Before reaching 30 Years of age

Pele		 	675 
Deak, Ferenc		635+ #
Helmchen, Erwin		628+
Lawton, Thomas		628+
Bambrick, Joe		610+ 
Hughes, Samuel		596
Jones, James		594+
Messi, Lionel		593
Roberts, Frederick	593+
Müller, Gerhard		570
Puskas, Ferenc		556 # 
Peyroteo, Fernando	529 
Dean, William "Dixie"	528 
Schlosser, Imre		515   
Greaves, James		511 
Martin, David "Boy"	509+ 
Zsengeller, Gyula 	506 
Bene, Ferenc		504
Bican, Josef		504+
Binder, Franz		495+
Ronaldo, Cristiano	483

After reaching 30 Years of age

Rooke, Ronald		493+   
Romario			451
Bican, Josef		446+
Ronaldo, Cristiano	408*
Smith, Joseph		379+
Helmchen, Erwin		359+ 
Ibrahimovic, Zlatan	346*
Waring, Thomas		328+ 
Lenstra, Abe		327+

International matches/Selects

(A-, B-, Ol-, U-, league-, regional-, city-, veteran-, other selects - against same selects)

Ronaldo, Cristiano	146*
Kocsis, Sandor		123 # 
Messi, Lionel 	 	122*
Puskas, Ferenc		120 #  	
Woodward, Vivian	120  	(incl. 23 goals ag. regional selects of South Africa and 1 
				 goal in 4 matches for British Army select, 1919)
Daei, Ali	 	114
Tichy, Lajos		106 
Neymar			 97*
Lawton, Thomas		 94 
Bene, Ferenc		 91  

One team (official matches)

Messi, Lionel		672*	Barcelona
Helmchen, Erwin		667+	PSV Chemnitz
Pele		 	643	Santos
Bican, Josef		622	Slavia Praha
Müller, Gerhard		573	FC Bayern
Peyroteo, Fernando	553 	Sporting Lissboa
Lenstra, Abe		531 	Heerenveen
Bambrick, Joe		524  	Linfield
McGrory, James		524	Celtic
Jones, James		516 	Glenavon
Walter, Fritz		513+ 	1.FC Kaiserslautern
Seeler, Uwe	 	508 	Hamburger SV

One team (all matches)

Müller, Gerhard		1256	FC Bayern
Tichy, Lajos		1245	Honved Budapest
Helmchen, Erwin		1141+ 	PSV Chemnitz
Pele		 	1089	Santos
Bican, Josef		1045+	Slavia Praha
Binder, Franz		 989+	Rapid Wien 

One season (official matches)

Willimowski, Ernst	1940-41		107	45
Bambrick, Joe		1929-30		96	57
Roberts, Frederick	1930-31		96	48
Turnbull, James		1936-37		93	48 (82 Belfast Celtic, 11 Celtic 2nd)
Messi, Lionel		2012* 		91	69
Müller, Gerhard		1972* 		85	60
Bambrick, Joseph	1927-28		84	52
Deak, Ferenc		1948-49		83	46
Messi, Lionel		2011-12		82	69
Dean, William		1927-28		81	50
Martin, David 		1932-33		80	51
Bambrick, Joseph	1928-29		78	54
Helmchen, Erwin		1929-30		77	33
Dodds, Ephraim „Jock“	1941-42		77	39 
Martin, David 		1933-34		77	50 
Bambrick, Joseph	1933-34		75	49
Pele		 	1958 		75	53
Bambrick, Joseph	1932-33		75	58
Binder, Franz		1939-40		74	43
Hughes, Samuel		1952-53		74	55
Jones, James		1956-57		74	61
Helmchen, Erwin		1931-32		73	29
Bican, Josef		1943-44		73	35
Deak, Ferenc		1945-46		73	38
Müller, Gerd		1972-73		73	54
Romario			2000 		73	75
Zsengeller, Gyula 	1938-39		72	43
Pele		 	1965 		72	52
Kocsis, Sandor		1954 		71	45 
Bican, Josef		1939-40		71	31
Bican, Josef		1942-43		71	34
Willimowski, Ernst	1941-42		71	34 

One season (all matches)

Tichy, Lajos		1959-60		201	86 
Kocsis, Sandor		1954 		171	80 
Tichy, Lajos		1961-62		154	80
Müller, Gerd		1976-77		146	72
Tichy, Lajos		1962-63		145	72 
Tichy, Lajos		1958-59		141	80 
Deak, Ferenc		1948-49		139	75
Müller, Gerhard		1971-72		137	92
Sarosi, György		1937-38		136	69 NEW
Bican, Josef		1943-44		130	47
Willimowski, Ernst	1940-41		129	52
Pele		 	1959 		128	106
Deak, Ferenc		1947-48		123	74
Bene, Ferenc		1964 		122	72
Tichy, Lajos		1960-61		121	67 
Helmchen, Erwin		1931-32		120	53 

Tichy's seasonal statistics are based on data from Pongracz' book and are conjectural.

One season (all matches – Top level)

NB: preliminary list containing:

1. Official goals in top level;
2. All international friendlies;
3. National friendlies against top-league teams; tournaments; select matches.

Pele			1959		120	101(68/55, 42/36 Int, 4/4 sel, 6/6 ag. clubs)
Willimowski, Ernst	1940-41		111	48
Pele			1961		105	72
Roberts, Frederick	1930-31		105	53
Bambrick, Joseph	1929-30		103	60	
Pele			1965		103	74
Kocsis, Sandor		1954		101	60 #
Deak, Ferenc		1948-49		 99	57
Messi, Lionel		2012*		 98	74
Sarosi, György		1937-38		 95	49 NEW

10 consecutive seasons

Bambrick, Joseph	1926-1936	621
Deak, Ferenc		1941-1951	611+ (incl. Div.2/3)
Bican, Josef		1938-1948	595
Messi, Lionel		2009-2019	581
Helmchen, Erwin		1926-1936	562
Ronaldo, Cristiano	2010-2020	558
Pele			1957-1966	547
Roberts, Frederick	1923-1933	545+ (incl. Div.2/3)
Peyroteo, Fernando	1937-1947	508
Lawton, Thomas		1938-1948	497+
Jones, James		1951-1961	494
Müller, Gerhard		1968-1978	490
Puskas, Ferenc		1946-1955	475 #

Official matches with goals

Ronaldo, Cristiano	593* 
Rooke, Ronald		566+ #
Messi, Lionel		563*
Romario			495
Lenstra, Abe		485+
Puskas, Ferenc		476 #
Pele			469 
Lewandowski, Robert	458*
Helmchen, Erwin		451+
Bican, Josef		439+
Müller, Gerhard		437

See also the file Players with Thousand Matches or Thereabouts.

About this document

Thanks to Valerij Rubezh (Belarus) and Dorian Leveque (England).

Author welcomes any additional data on possibly missing matches or goals

Prepared and maintained by Vladimir Kolos for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Vladimir Kolos (vkoloss@mail.ru)
Last updated: 17 Jan 2024

(C) Copyright Vladimir Kolos and RSSSF 2006/24
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.