Prolific Scorers Data


See also the files Prolific Scorers in the 19th Century and Players with Thousand Matches or Thereabouts.


NB: last updated after matches on Jul 13, 2025.

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
All hat-tricks (official matches)


Best Goalscorers All-Time (Official Matches)

- only famous players with verified statistics (mostly with the data in each match);
  all players were topscorer of top level league (over 70 players) and/or played for
  their national team; the only exception is the topscorer of the English League (all
  division), Arthur Rowley (played one match for England B).
- 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	989+	582
2	Ronaldo, Cristiano	(Portugal)	 	1985	2002-		956	1317*
3	Bican, Josef		(Austria, CSR/Сzech)	1913	1930-1957	950+	624 
3	Rooke, Ronald		(England)	 	1911	1929-1961	934+	1030
4	Messi, Lionel		(Argentina)	 	1987	2003-		901	1168*
6	Jones, James		(North Ireland)		1928	1943-1965	840+	760 #
7	Puskás, Ferenc		(Hungary)	 	1927	1943-1967	802	792  
8	Deak, Ferenc  		(Hungary)	 	1922	1939-1959	795+	515 #
9	Lenstra, Abe		(Netherlands)		1920	1936-1964	790+	850
10	Romário			(Brazil)	 	1966	1984-2009	785	1003
11	Pelé		 	(Brazil)	 	1940	1956-1977	778	851  
12	Lawton, Tommy		(England)	 	1919	1935-1957	749+	831 #  
13	Müller, Gerd		(Germany)	 	1945	1963-1981	735	793
14	Lewandowski, Robert	(Poland)	 	1988	2004-		729	1056*
15	Hughes, Samuel „Sammy“	(North Ireland)		1926	1942-1963	722+	752
16	Bambrick, Joe		(North Ireland)		1905	1925-1943	690+	578 
17	Willimowski, Ernst	(Poland, Germany) 	1916	1932-1957	683+	484 
18	Waring, Thomas „Pongo“	(England)		1906	1924-1948	672+	736+# 
19	Martin, David "Boy"	(North Ireland)		1914	1930-1947	642+	547 #
20	Bene, Ferenc		(Hungary)	 	1944	1959-1985	634	972 #
21	Eusebio			(Portugal)	 	1942	1960-1978	634+	663 
22	Mortensen, Stanley	(England)		1921	1938-1962	628+	822 # 
23	Smith, Joseph 		(England)		1889	1908-1931	617+	903 #
24	Roberts, Frederick	(North Ireland)		1905	1922-1937	613+	471 #
25	Zsengeller, Gyula 	(Hungary)	 	1915	1931-1953	611+	650 #
26	Peyroteo, Fernando	(Portugal)	 	1918	1937-1949	610	374 # 
27	Suárez, Luis		(Uruguay) 		1987	2005-		598	1020 *
28	Greaves, James		(England)	 	1940	1956-1980	590+	842  
29	Seeler, Uwe	 	(Germany)	 	1936	1954-1972	586	688 
30	Walter, Fritz		(Germany)	 	1920	1938-1959	586+	583 
31	Tulio „Maravilha“ 	(Brazil)	 	1969	1987-2014	585	950+ 
32	Ibrahimovic, Zlatan	(Sweden)	 	1981	1999-2023	582	1001
33	Wilson, David		(England)		1908	1927-1947	581+	626 #
34	Kelly, James		(North Ireland)		1911	1925-1957	574+	1004 #
35	Schlosser, Imre		(Hungary) 		1889	1906-1928	570	464  
36	Ferguson, Glenn		(North Ireland)		1969	1987-2011	570	1085 #
37	Binder, Franz		(Austria)	 	1911	1927-1949	569+	431
38	Fleming, Charles	(Scotland)		1927	1947-1965	569	766+# 
39	Gallacher, Hugh 	(Scotland)	 	1903	1920-1940	569+	717 # 
40	Dean, William "Dixie"	(England) 		1907	1923-1940	568	612 
41	Aldridge, John		(Ireland)	 	1958	1976-1998	565+	990 
42	Langara, Isidro		(Spain)			1912	1930-1948	564+	458
43	Sanchez, Hugo		(Mexico)	 	1958	1974-1998	562	956
44	Torres, Jose		(Portugal)	 	1938	1958-1980	561	615
45	McGrory, James		(Scotland)	 	1904	1922-1938	558	549 
46	Kocsis, Sandor		(Hungary)	 	1929	1946-1966	556	538
47	Dechamps, Paul		(Belgium)		1921	1939-1964	552+	612
48	Halliday, David		(Scotland)		1902	1920-1938	551+	642 #
49	Smith, James		(Scotland)		1911	1928-1947	550+	521 # 
50	Zico		 	(Brazil)	 	1954	1971-1994	546	798 
51	Szusza, Ferenc		(Hungary)	 	1923	1940-1961	545	600 #
52	Dodds, Ephraim „Jock“	(Scotland)	 	1915	1932-1950	542	612  
53	Takacs II, Jozsef 	(Hungary)	 	1904	1920-1942	542	528  
54	Dickson, Thomas		(North Ireland)		1929	1946-1966	539+	775
55	Harder, Otto		(Germany)		1892	1910-1934	538+	324+
56	Westcott, Dennis	(England)		1917	1933-1954	535+	587
57	Benzema, Karim		(France)		1987	2004-		533	1015*
58	Mermans, Joseph		(Belgium)	 	1922	1937-1960	528	652 #
59	Ferguson, Hugh		(Scotland)		1895	1914-1930	525+	559
60	di Stefano, Alfredo	(Argentina, Spain)	1926	1945-1966	524	720
61	Hidegkuti, Nandor 	(Hungary)  		1922	1938-1958	523	674
62	Dickson, Desmond	(North Ireland)		1948	1964-1983	523+	715 
63	Roberto „Dinamite“	(Brazil)	 	1954	1971-1992	519	869 
64	Richardson, William	(England)		1909	1928-1946	518+	622 NEW
65	Krankl, Johann		(Austria)	 	1953	1970-1989	518	725
66	Brown, George		(England)		1903	1920-1938	517+	711+NEW
67	Nordahl, Gunnar		(Sweden) 		1921	1936-1961	514+	597 
68	Thompson, Trevor	(North Ireland)		1936	1955-1969	513+	588
69	Chinaglia, Giorgio	(Italy)			1947	1962-1990	512+ 	707
70	McLean, David		(Scotland)		1890	1906-1931	511+	801 
71	Sarosi, Gyorg, Dr.	(Hungary)	 	1912	1928-1948	511	607
72	Camsell, Georg		(England)		1902	1923-1942	509+	593 #
73	Auer (Avar), Stefan	(Hungary/Romania)	1905	1922-1949	507+	449
74	Carter, Horatio „Raich“ (England)		1913	1928-1953	506+	843 NEW
75	Guy, Dennis		(North Ireland)		1944	1960-1976	504+	631
76	van der Kuijlen, Willy	(Netherland)		1946	1962-1983	504	807 
77	Milla, Roger		(Camerun)	 	1952	1968-1996	504+	907
78	Bloomer, Stephen	(England)	 	1874	1891-1920	504	755 
79	De Cleyn, Albert	(Belgium)		1917	1933-1955	503	588
80	Rowley, Arthur		(England)	 	1926	1941-1967	502+	729
81	Onnis, Delio		(Argentina)		1948	1966-1986	502	747
82	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+		 939 
Puskas, Ferenc		1569+		1270 
Müller, Gerhard		1483		1228
Bene, Ferenc		1424+		1481
Deak, Ferenc		1374+		 839 #
Pele			1324		1413 
Takacs II, Jozsef 	1218+		 943  
Binder, Franz		1202+		 833
Kocsis, Sandor		1187+		 906 
Szusza, Ferenc		1156+		1029 #
Szilagyi, Guyla		1112+		 918
Sarosi, György		1098+		1051
Willimowski, Ernst	1079+		 691 
Zsengeller, Gyula 	1078+		 962
Hidegkuti, Nandor  	1043+		1074 
Rooke, Ronald		1031+		1105
Lenstra, Abe		1031+		1099
Albert, Florian		1018+		1097
Schlosser, Imre		1016+	 	 800 
Ronaldo, Cristiano	1008		1422 NEW
Auer (Avar), Stefan	1007+		 780
Romario			1002		1209 

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

NB: preliminary list

Ronaldo, Cristiano	940*
Messi, Lionel		874*
Pele			770 
Romario			761
Puskas, Ferenc		760  
Bican, Josef		743
Lewandowski, Robert	674*
Jones, James		659 # 
Lenstra, Abe		645 
Müller, Gerhard		640
Bambrick, Joseph	634  
Peyroteo, Fernando	610 #
Suárez, Luis		596*
Seeler, Uwe		567
Ferguson, Glenn		563
Ibrahimovic, Zlatan	562
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
Benzema, Karim		498*

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		683+
Bican, Josef		676+
Deak, Ferenc		648+ 
Ronaldo, Cristiano	572*
Puskas, Ferenc		548
Romario			546
Messi, Lionel		545*
Pele		 	538
Müller, Gerhard		497
Tulio „Maravilha“ 	497 
Zsengeller, Gyula 	490
Lawton, Thomas		483+  
Jones, James		479+ # 
Langara, Isidro		477
Roberto Dinamite 	476 
Mermans, Joseph		475
Walter, Fritz		469+
De Cleyn, Albert 	469  
 
(only top leagues)

Ronaldo, Cristiano	572*
Messi, Lionel		534*
Bican, Josef		526
Puskas, Ferenc		516
De Cleyn, Albert 	431 
Schlosser, Imre		417
Zsengeller, Gyula 	416
Lewandowski, Robert	413*
McGrory, James		408
Müller, Gerhard		405
Suárez, Luis		403*
Sanchez, Hugo		394
Ibrahimovic, Zlatan	394
Szusza, Ferenc		393
Bianchi, Carlos		385

Before reaching 30 Years of age

Pele		 	675 
Deak, Ferenc		635+
Lawton, Thomas		632+#
Helmchen, Erwin		629+#
Bambrick, Joseph	610+ 
Roberts, Frederick	600+
Hughes, Samuel		599+#
Jones, James		593+#
Messi, Lionel		593
Müller, Gerhard		570
Puskas, Ferenc		556 
Peyroteo, Fernando	541 # 
Martin, David "Boy"	537+
Dean, William "Dixie"	528 
Schlosser, Imre		515   
Greaves, James		511 
Zsengeller, Gyula 	506 
Bene, Ferenc		504
Bican, Josef		504+
Binder, Franz		495+
Ronaldo, Cristiano	483

After reaching 30 Years of age

Rooke, Ronald		493+   
Ronaldo, Cristiano	473*
Romario			451
Bican, Josef		446+
Smith, Joseph		379+
Harder, Otto		373+
Helmchen, Erwin		360+ # 
Ibrahimovic, Zlatan	346
Waring, Thomas		330+ # 
Lenstra, Abe		328+
Lewandowski, Robert	315*
Messi, Lionel		308*

International matches/Selects

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

Ronaldo, Cristiano	156*
Messi, Lionel 	 	128*
Kocsis, Sandor		123 
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, Joseph	524  	Linfield
McGrory, James		524	Celtic
Jones, James		515# 	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, Gerhard		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, Gerhard		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
Bican, Josef		1943-44		130	47
Willimowski, Ernst	1940-41		129	52
Pele		 	1959 		128	107
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

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	563 #
Ronaldo, Cristiano	2010-2020	558
Roberts, Frederick	1923-1933	550+ (incl. Div.2/3)
Pele			1957-1966	546 
Peyroteo, Fernando	1937-1947	520 #
Jones, James		1951-1961	497 #
Lawton, Thomas		1938-1948	497+
Müller, Gerhard		1968-1978	490
Lewandowski, Robert	2015-2025	479	NEW
Puskas, Ferenc		1946-1955	475
Harder, Otto		1919-1929	472+

Official matches with goals

Ronaldo, Cristiano	642* 
Messi, Lionel		597*
Rooke, Ronald		566+
Lewandowski, Robert	503*
Romario			495
Lenstra, Abe		486+
Puskas, Ferenc		474 #
Pele			469 
Helmchen, Erwin		451+
Bican, Josef		439+
Müller, Gerhard		437

All hat-tricks (official matches)

NB: preliminary list

Helmchen, Erwin		142+
Bican, Josef		137
Deak, Ferenc		97+
Willimowski, Ernst	96+
Jones, James		91
Pele			88
Rooke, Ronald		86+
Bambrick, Joseph	86
Peyroteo, Fernando	80
Roberts, Frederick	77
Martin, David "Boy"	76+
Lawton, Thomas		76
Harder, Otto		74+
Schlosser, Imre		74
Hughes, Samuel		73
Müller, Gerhard		72
Walter, Fritz		71
Puskas, Ferenc		70
Romario			70
Binder, Franz		67
Zsengeller, Gyula	66
Ronaldo, Cristiano	66*
Langara, Isidro		66
Lenstra, Abe		65
Kocsis, Sandor		63
McGrory, James		63
Eusebio			61
Messi, Lionel		60*
Takacs II, Jozsef	60
Sarosi, Gyorg		60

See also the files Prolific Scorers in the 19th Century and 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: 29 Jul 2025

(C) Copyright Vladimir Kolos and RSSSF 2006/25
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.