Highest Goal Scorers in International Football History: International football has seen many amazing goal-scorers who have made a lasting impact on the game. From legendary players of the past to today’s stars, these athletes have broken through defenses and delighted fans with their scoring skills.
Highest Goal Scorers in International Football History
In this article we highlights the top 20 goal-scorers in international football history, showcasing their impressive achievements and influence on the sport.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
- Country: Portugal
- Goals: 130
- Matches: 212
- Average: 0.61
Cristiano Ronaldo is the top international goal scorer ever. He had a great career with Manchester United, winning English titles and a Champions League. He moved to Real Madrid in 2009, where he became their all-time leading scorer and won four more Champions League titles. After stints with Juventus and Manchester United again, he joined Al-Nassr FC in 2023.
Ronaldo led Portugal to win the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 Nations League. He holds records for most international appearances and goals, and he’s Portugal’s top player in World Cup history.
He’s won five World Player of the Year awards, three European Player of the Year awards, and he’s the only player to win top honors in England, Spain, and Italy.
Ronaldo also has four Golden Shoes and was named to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team in 2020.
2. Lionel Messi
- Country: Argentina
- Goals: 109
- Matches: 187
- Average: 0.58
Lionel Messi, the second-highest goal scorer in international football, started his journey at FC Barcelona’s youth academy at 13. He made his pro debut in 2004 at 17 and spent 17 years with Barcelona, scoring 474 goals and winning four Champions League trophies and ten Spanish Championships.
Messi also won the UEFA Golden Boot six times. In 2021, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain and joined Inter Miami in July 2023.
Messi began playing for Argentina at 18 and became their top goal scorer. He played in five World Cups and seven Copa Américas, winning the Copa América in 2021, 2024 and the World Cup in 2022. He holds records for the most World Cup games (26) and goals (13) for Argentina.
He has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, the most ever, and has also received seven FIFA World Player of the Year awards and two UEFA Player of the Year awards. In 2020, he was named to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team.
3. Ali Daei
- Country: Iran
- Goals: 108
- Matches: 148
- Average: 0.73
Ali Daei, the third-highest goal scorer in international football history, captained Iran from 2000 to 2006 and is considered one of Asia’s greatest players. He played as a striker in the German Bundesliga with Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich, and Hertha Berlin, known for his strong heading and aerial skills.
Daei scored 108 international goals, a record until Cristiano Ronaldo broke it in 2021. He congratulated Ronaldo on Instagram, showing his respect for the achievement.
After retiring, Daei became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2001 and was on the FIFA Football Committee from 2007 to 2013. He was inducted into the Asian Football Hall of Fame in 2014, cementing his status as a top Iranian footballer.
4. Sunil Chhetri
- Country: India
- Goals: 94
- Matches: 151
- Average: 0.62
Sunil Chhetri, India’s football legend, is the fourth-highest goal scorer in international football. Known for his goal-scoring, leadership, and teamwork, Chhetri is the top scorer and most-capped player for India. He has played for Mohun Bagan, JCT, and Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer.
Chhetri has led India to wins in the Nehru Cup and SAFF Championship and helped Bengaluru FC make a strong run in the AFC Cup in 2016.
He has received the Arjuna Award, Padma Shri, and Khel Ratna Award. With 93 international goals, he is the second-highest Asian goal scorer, behind Ali Daei, and third among active players after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
5. Mokhtar Dahari
- Country: Malaysia
- Goals: 89
- Matches: 142
- Average: 0.63
Mokhtar Dahari is the fifth-highest goal scorer in international football. His career started in 1972 with Selangor FA, where he played for 15 years, winning 10 Malaysia Cups and scoring 177 goals.
He retired in 1986 after winning his tenth Malaysia Cup but briefly returned to Selangor for one more season.
Dahari scored 142 goals in 167 games for the Malaysian national team by 1985. He is considered Malaysia’s greatest footballer and was ranked 30th in the Asian Footballer of the Century vote. Mokhtar Dahari passed away at 37 due to muscular dystrophy, leaving a strong legacy in Malaysian football.
6. Romelu Lukaku
- Country: Belgium
- Goals: 85
- Matches: 118
- Average: 0.72
Romelu Lukaku, the sixth-highest goal scorer in international football, is known for his powerful play and goal-scoring skills. While he’s strong and tall, he prefers playing as a striker or poacher rather than a traditional target-man, showing versatility even as a winger.
He started his senior career with Anderlecht, then played for Chelsea, Everton, Manchester United, and found success with Inter Milan, winning a Serie A title and the MVP award.
As Belgium’s top goal scorer, Lukaku has shined in major tournaments, being the joint second-highest scorer in the 2018 World Cup. He also set a record with 14 goals in eight games during the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers.
7. Ali Mabkhout
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Goals: 85
- Matches: 114
- Average: 0.75
Ali Mabkhout, the seventh-highest goal scorer in international football, plays as a forward for Al Jazira in the UAE Pro League and the United Arab Emirates national team. He started his career with Al Jazira’s first team in 2009.
His impressive goal-scoring record has secured his spot among the top international goal scorers, highlighting his significant impact on football.
8. Ferenc Puskás
- Country: Hungary
- Goals: 84
- Matches: 85
- Average: 0.99
Ferenc Puskás, the 8th-highest international goal scorer, was Hungary’s captain from 1950 to 1954. After the 1956 uprising, he joined Real Madrid in 1958, helping them win three European Cups and many Spanish titles.
He became a Spanish citizen and played in the 1962 World Cup. After retiring at 39, Puskás became a coach, notably with Panathinaikos Athens.
He’s remembered as one of Hungary’s greatest players and was known for his powerful left foot. The FIFA Puskás Prize, for the best goal of the season, is named in his honor. Puskás passed away on November 17, 2006.
9. Robert Lewandowski
- Country: Poland
- Goals: 83
- Matches: 152
- Average: 0.55
Robert Lewandowski, the ninth-highest international goal scorer, is known as one of the top strikers of his generation. He achieved a rare treble—winning a league, domestic cup, and UEFA Champions League—while being the top scorer in all competitions, a feat also shared with Johan Cruyff.
Lewandowski was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021, and UEFA Player of the Year in 2020. He is the second-highest goal scorer in Bundesliga history and the third-highest in UEFA Champions League history.
With 82 goals, Lewandowski is the third-highest goal scorer in European national team history and the ninth-highest worldwide.
10. Neymar
- Country: Brazil
- Goals: 79
- Matches: 128
- Average: 0.62
Neymar, the tenth-highest goal scorer in international football, first gained fame as a striker with FC Santos. He moved to FC Barcelona in 2013, where he won two Spanish championships and the Champions League in 2015.
In August 2017, Neymar made headlines with a €222 million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), winning five French league titles before moving to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
Since joining the Brazilian national team in 2010, Neymar has become their all-time leading goal scorer. He has played in three World Cups and three Copa Américas, winning the 2013 Confederations Cup and a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics.
Neymar draws inspiration from football legends Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Wayne Rooney.
11. Godfrey Chitalu
- Country: Zambia
- Goals: 79
- Matches: 111
- Average: 0.71
Godfrey Chitalu, the eleventh-highest goal scorer in international football, is considered the greatest Zambian player ever. He holds the national team’s goal-scoring record and was named Zambian Footballer of the Year five times.
In 2006, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) included him among the top 200 African footballers of the past 50 years. In 1972, Chitalu reportedly scored over 100 goals in all competitions, surpassing Gerd Müller and Lionel Messi that year. Although journalists discussed this as a potential world record, FIFA did not officially recognize it for domestic competitions.
After retiring, Chitalu became a coach and was leading the Zambia national team when he and the squad tragically died in a plane crash on April 27, 1993.
12. Hussein Saeed
- Country: Iraq
- Goals: 78
- Matches: 137
- Average: 0.57
Hussein Saeed, the twelfth-highest goal scorer in international football, is a former Iraqi player and was the chairman of the Iraq Football Association from 2004 to 2011.
One of the best Iraqi footballers, he holds the record for the most goals scored for Iraq, with 78 goals.
From 1989, to 1995, Saeed also held the world record for the most international appearances, with 122 to 126 games during that time.
13. Pele
- Country: Brazil
- Goals: 77
- Matches: 92
- Average: 0.92
Pelé, ranked as the 13th-highest international goal scorer, is one of football’s greatest legends. He spent 17 years with FC Santos, winning 26 national and international titles.
Pelé won multiple championships, including the Campeonato Paulista, Torneio Rio-São Paulo, Taça Brasil, Copa Libertadores, and three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970)—a record no other player has matched.
With a total of 1,303 goals in 1,392 games, Pelé’s incredible skill and talent have earned him many awards, including South America’s Footballer of the Year and FIFA’s World Footballer of the 20th Century, cementing his place as a football icon. H e also ranked among the top scorers in football History.
14. Kunishige Kamamoto
- Country: Japan
- Goals: 75
- Matches: 76
- Average: 0.99
Kunishige Kamamoto, the fourteenth-highest international goal scorer, is a renowned Japanese footballer. He gained prominence by leading Japan to a bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where he was the top scorer with seven goals.
Kamamoto is Japan’s all-time leading goal scorer. He served as the Vice-President of the Japan Football Association from 1998 to 2008 and was inducted into the Japan Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Additionally, he was a member of the House of Councillors from 1995 to 2001.
15. Bashar Abdullah
- Country: Kuwait
- Goals: 75
- Matches: 134
- Average: 0.56
Bashar Abdullah, the fifteenth-highest goal scorer in international football, was pivotal in Kuwaiti football’s mini-revival from 1996 to 1998. During this time, he helped Kuwait win two Gulf Cups, reach the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup, and finish second in the Arab Cup and Asian Olympics. He also competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
For his club, Al-Salmiyah, Abdullah won the league three times and the Emir Cup once. He retired from professional football on November 26, 2015, but returned for a testimonial match against Egypt on May 25, 2018, reflecting his lasting impact on Kuwaiti football.
16. Majed Abdullah
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Goals: 72
- Matches: 117
- Average: 0.62
Majed Abdullah, the sixteenth-highest goal scorer in international football, is Saudi Arabia’s all-time leading goal scorer with 72 goals in 117 matches. Known as the “Arabian Jewel,” Abdullah had a remarkable 21-year career with Al-Nassr, where he scored 189 league goals and led the team to numerous titles, including league and King Cup wins.
One of Western Asia’s greatest strikers, Abdullah was nominated for IFFHS Asia’s Player of the Century, finishing third.
He played a crucial role in Saudi Arabia’s Asian Cup victories in 1984 and 1988. Abdullah retired in 1998, leaving a lasting legacy in Saudi football.
17. Kinnah Phiri
- Country: Malawi
- Goals: 71
- Matches: 117
- Average: 0.61
Kinnah Phiri, the seventeenth-highest goal scorer in international football, began his career with the local team Big Bullets in Blantyre. Although he had an offer to play for UAE’s Sharjah SC in 1982, he ended up moving to Swaziland to play for Manzini Wanderers instead.
Phiri made a significant impact for Malawi in the late 1970s, helping them win the East and Central Africa Challenge Cup. He scored 71 goals in 115 international matches for Malawi.
In his club career, he claimed to have scored over 700 goals, marking him as a prolific scorer.
18. Kiatisuk Senamuang
- Country: Thailand
- Goals: 71
- Matches: 134
- Average: 0.53
Kiatisuk Senamuang, the eighteenth-highest goal scorer in international football, is a celebrated Thai player known for his exceptional skills and dribbling, earning him the nickname “Zico” after the Brazilian legend.
He is now the head coach of FC Chonburi in Thailand and dreams of leading the Thai national team to a World Cup, a goal he didn’t achieve as a player. His dedication to the sport continues through his coaching career.
19. Miroslav Klose
- Country: Germany
- Goals: 71
- Matches: 137
- Average: 0.52
Miroslav Klose, the nineteenth-highest goal scorer in international football, had a distinguished career as a striker with clubs 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, and Lazio Rome. He won multiple domestic titles, including two doubles with Bayern and the Italian Cup with Lazio.
Klose made a huge impact with the German national team, scoring 71 goals and setting the record for the most goals in World Cup history with 16, surpassing Ronaldo. He also reached the World Cup semi-finals four times.
20. Abdul Kadir
- Country: Indonesia
- Goals: 70
- Matches: 111
- Average: 0.63
Abdul Kadir, the twentieth-highest goal scorer in international football, is celebrated for his impressive career as a winger for Indonesia’s national team from 1965 to 1979. Nicknamed “The Deer” (Kancil) for his agility, Kadir holds records for the most appearances and goals for Indonesia, with 105 ‘A’ caps and over 70 goals.
He is a member of the FIFA Century Club, making him the only Indonesian player to achieve this milestone.
Kadir’s impact on the field is marked by his exceptional ball-handling skills and significant contributions to Indonesian football.