Which player holds the record for scoring the most goals for a single club?

Which player holds the record for scoring the most goals for a single club?

Lenah Ann
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:13 PM

Goals often make the football world spin around, and the modern age has treated fans to phenomenal showings from great goalscorers. However, most goal-scoring records set decades ago still stand strong to this day, even with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland wandering around. But the question, however, is which player holds the record for scoring the most goals for a single club?

Most goals for a single club by a player
Which player holds the record for scoring the most goals for a single club? Photo: BeFunky.com (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Players on the highest goal-scorers' list for a single club are mostly know to you but there are some who may come as a surprise. So, who has scored the most for a single club in Premier League and other top European leagues? Stick around to find out.

Top 10 players with the most goals for a single club

For starters, when there is a discussion about any of these goal-scorers, there are certain names that always appear on the list; the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Today, some fans cannot even picture soccer without some of these legendary players.

10. Joe Bambrick - 616

Most goals by a player for a single club
A photo of Joe Bambrick. Photo: Barratts
Source: Getty Images

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Joe is a Northern Irish-born soccer player who played between the years 1926 and 1939. To date, he is recognized for having scored 616 goals, which averagely spread out to 44 per season. Before he ventured into Chelsea, the player had represented Glentoran and Linfield for a large part of his career. He notably rose to stardom while at Linfield, where he scored 286 in just 183 appearances.

9. Eusebio - 619

Who has scored the most goals for a single club?
Portuguese footballer Eusebio playing with slot cars during a break at training in Harlow, England on 25th July 1966. Photo: Robert Stiggins
Source: Getty Images

Eusebio was Portugal's most legendary player until Cristiano Ronaldo stole his mantle. He plundered most of his 619 career scores at Benfica, where he played for 16 years. Despite playing for Portugal's national team for over 12 years, the renowned former player only featured in 64 official matches.

Still, he managed to score 41 times, and even helping his nation get to third place at the 1966 World Cup.

8.Gerd Muller - 634

Who has scored the most goals for a single club?
Former FC Bayern Munich footballer, Gerd Muller, being honoured in the Allianz Arena before a Bundesliga match. Photo: Andreas Gebert
Source: Getty Images

Often regarded as one of the greatest goal-scorer of all time, Muller shot 634 shots past goalkeepers between 1964 and 1981. The German-born former soccer player completed almost all his mentioned goals at Bayern Munich, where he scored 563 goals, setting Bundesliga records after records. However, some of the records he set have been broken by Robert Lewandowski.

7. Jimmy Jones - 647

At the seventh position, meet yet another Northern Irishman, Jimmy Jones, who started his career at Glenavon Juniors in 1944 and retired at Newry Town in 1965. During that time, he bagged a remarkable 647 career goals.

Though he spent a year in English football, after moving to Fulham in the summer of 1950, he failed to make a first-team appearance due to some technicalities. That meant that Jones could only play in reserve team matches and therefore did not score while in England.

6. Josef Bican - 720

Who has scored the most goals for a single club?
A portrait of Josef Bican in 1939. Photo: Ullstein Bild
Source: Getty Images

According to Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation, the renowned Vienna-based striker, scored 948 goals in 624 matches between 1931 and 1957.

5. Ferenc Puskas - 729

Professional soccer player with the most goals for a single club
Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskas in December 1959. Photo: Central Press
Source: Getty Images

At the fifth position sits Puskas. He is best known for his spell with the Hungary national team and Real Madrid. However, prior to joining Los Blancos in 1958, he had already netted over 382 scores for the Hungarian team Kispest. Today, the team is known as Budapesti Honved SE.

In 1956, Puskas emigrated to Spain and failed to return until 1981. Consequently, he signed for Real Madrid and played four games for Spain during the 1962 World Cup. His spell at Real Madrid was fruitful as he yielded plenty of La Liga and European Cup honours.

4. Romario - 755

Most goals for a single club in premier league
Former Brazilian football star Romario in action during a charity football match at Maracana stadium on 28th December, 2013, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Buda Mendes
Source: Getty Images

Even though Romario's total is somewhat impossible to quantify, the IFFHS has the legend's full total as 755 career scores. This includes 55 for Brazil's national team, which in turn helped the country win the 1994 World Cup.

But even though that is the case, the Golden Ball winner of that year still argues that he has more goals than the stated number.

3. Pele - 762

Most goals for a single club by a player
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, famously dubbed Pele, attends the Hublot loves Football on 2nd April 2019, in Paris, France. Photo: Marc Piasecki
Source: Getty Images

Pele was undoubtedly a remarkable player. However, when Lionel reportedly broke the record for the most goals for a single club, Pele's previous team, Santos, denied the claims. He then took to social media to highlight his alleged number of goals, 1,283.

However, IFFHS claimed that he had netted 762 goals, which was still a remarkable figure for one of the greatest players ever. Besides, he scored 643 of them while playing at Santos.

2. Lionel Messi - 781

Top 10 players with most goals for a single club
Lionel Messi of PSG during the UEFA Champions League group H match against SL Benfica on 5th October 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo: Jean Catuffe
Source: Getty Images

It is no doubt that almost every soccer fan can attest to just how good Lionel Messi is. Even though he sits in the second position, he is remarkably recognized for being one of the top goal-scorers of all time.

Of all the 781 goals he scored, his notable ones are those he netted during his spell at Barcelona, where he scored 672 in 778 games. He then scored 90 of the other goals for the Argentina national team. He currently plays in France at PSG, where he is still banging in those goals.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - 817

Who has scored the most goals for a single club? Cristiano Ronaldo is the professional soccer player with the most goals for a single club. For starters, he recently scored his 700th career club goal in a match against Everton during the Premier League.

Professional soccer players with the most goals for a single club
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United poses with a fan during the MU Foundation Dream Day at Carrington Training Ground on 10th October 2022. Photo: Ash Donelon
Source: Getty Images

One fascinating fact about the legendary player is the fact that he is still very thirsty and hungry for more goals to add to his record.

Most goals scored by a single player in a Champions League match

Two players share the record for the most goals in a single Premier League match, and Lionel Messi is one of them. The other player is Luiz Adriano, who is currently the only player to ever score five goals in a single UCL match.

Today, the list of the players who have scored the most goals for a single club consists of many legends who have even gone to the extent of breaking their own records. Well, these goals make soccer spin around, which is why it is only fair that fans get to know these incredible goal records.

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The most influential players always perform impressively for their club and country. Click on the link above to learn about this decade's 20 most influential footballers!

Authors
Lenah Ann photo
Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.