Who is the highest-scoring goalkeeper of all time in football?

Who is the highest-scoring goalkeeper of all time in football?

Claudia Kogi
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:13 PM

In football, goal-scoring duties are traditionally assigned to strikers and, to some extent, attacking midfielders. Sometimes even defenders help in scoring crucial goals. Goalkeepers, however, are the least expected to get in the scoresheet. Nevertheless, some showstoppers have defied the odds, including the highest-scoring goalkeeper of all time, who scored 131 goals!

EPL highest scoring goalkeeper of all time
Who is the highest-scoring goalkeeper of all time in football? Photo: Digital Zoo (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Interestingly, some keepers have scored more goals than the strikers of other teams. You will be shocked to learn how the top 10 goalkeepers with the most goals in football history stunned audiences and professionals worldwide.

Who is the highest goal-scoring goalkeeper of all time?

Legendary Brazilian shot-stopper, Rogério Ceni, is the most-scoring goalkeeper of all time as per statistics in 2022. Rogério was a free-kick specialist and an accurate penalty-taker. Discover more about the top 10 goalkeepers with the most goals.

Goalkeeper

Goals

Country

Rogério Ceni

131

Brazil

José Luis Chilavert

67

Uruguay

Jorge Campos

46

Mexico

Johnny Vegas Fernandez

45

Peru

René Higuita

43

Colombia

Dimitar Ivankov

42

Bulgaria

Marcio

40

Brazil

Fernando Patterson

35

Costa Rica

Hans-Jörg

33

Germany

Misael Alfaro

31

El Salvador

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10. Misael Alfaro - 31

Misael Alfaro is a former Salvadorian player who played mostly in the 1980s, with his entire career spent in the Salvadorian league.

EPL highest scoring goalkeeper of all time
Misael Alfaro, goalkeeper of the El Salvador national team, during a training session on 16 November 2004 at the Rommel Fernandez stadium in Panama City. Photo: Teresita Chavaria
Source: Getty Images

Misael Alfaro has played in big Salvadorian clubs such as Luis Engel Firpo, Guila, Alianza, Metapan, and San Salvador. During his time, he was recognised for being the best penalty taker. Besides, all his goals came from the spot-kick only. However, he was forced to retire early due to a severe neck injury he had.

9. Hans-Jorg - 33

EPL highest scoring goalkeeper of all time
Portrait of Hans-Jorg of Bayer Leverkusen before the Champions League First Phase Group F match against Olympiakos Piraeus FC on 29 October 2002. Photo: Stuart Franklin
Source: Getty Images

Hans is a German-based football legend who has played for big heavyweights like FC Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen in his illustrious career. Additionally, he is renowned for providing an edge to his team through his goal-scoring abilities.

Throughout his career, he scored 33 goals and held the record for many penalty goals in a senior professional league in Europe. Just in Bundesliga, he scored 26 goals.

8. Fernando Patterson - 35

highest-scoring goalkeepers of all time
Fernando Patterson greets his supporters at the end of the CONCACAF Champion League quarterfinal football match against Monterrey of Mexico on 12 March 2013. Photo: Julio Cesar Aguilar
Source: Getty Images

Sitting in the eighth position is Fernando Patterson, a former Costa Rican soccer player. He was among the first Costa Rican players to kick the ball. His career notably revolved around Guatemala's top division, where he played for a club like Coban Imperial, Puntarenas, Xelaju, Coban, and Ramones.

7. Marcio - 40

EPL highest scoring goalkeeper of all time
Marcio Araujo of Flamengo in action during the match against Vitoria as part of Brasileirao Series A 2014 on 31 August 2014 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Photo: Felipe Oliveira
Source: Getty Images

Marcio is a former Brazilian-based keeper who scored 40 goals during his career, 37 of which came from Atletico Goianiense. He initially began his career with Bahia and later went to play for some of Brazil's top soccer clubs. However, he retired in 2019.

6. Dimitar Ivankov - 42

Dimitar is a famous Bulgarian highest goal-scoring goalkeeper from Europe. He played in Turkish and Bulgarian top divisions for most of his career, where he scored 42 goals. He was an amazing player whose notable spell came with Levski Sofia, scoring 18 goals in 203 appearances.

5. Rene Higuita - 43

EPL highest scoring goalkeeper of all time
The Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita during the Wembley - Rous Cup, England v Colombia. Photo: Mark Leech
Source: Getty Images

Rene Higuita is one of the most iconic keepers of all time. His notable example of athleticism has always been his scorpion kick save against England in 1995. Aside from his incredible saves, the former Colombian-based goalkeeper scored 43 goals during his entire career.

4. Johnny Vegas Fernandez - 45

most-scoring goalkeeper of all time
Johnny Vegas of Peru defends a kick attempted by Julian Lalinde of Uruguay's Liverpool during their match for Copa Nissan Sudamericana 2009 on 13 August 2009. Photo: Dante Fernandez
Source: Getty Images

On the fourth position sits the Peruvian sensation, Johnny Vegas Fernandez, who scored 45 goals during his 13-year career. Besides contributing from penalty kicks, he is also known for scoring from open play. One interesting fact about Johnny Vegas is that he has had 14 transfers throughout his career.

3. Jorge Campos - 46

most-scoring goalkeeper of all time
FIFA Legend Jorge Campos is seen prior to the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 Group A match between Portugal and Mexico at Kazan Arena on 18 June 2017 in Kazan, Russia. Photo: Ian Walton
Source: Getty Images

At the third position sits Jorge Campos, who brought a whole new level of football versatility throughout his career when he scored 46 goals. However, he did not score all of the 46 goals as a keeper but also as a striker, where he scored 28 of them.

2. Jose Luis Chilavert - 67

most-scoring goalkeeper of all time
Jose Luis Chilavert, world's best keeper in September 1995. Photo: Rafael Wollmann
Source: Getty Images

Jose is a former Paraguayan goalkeeper who holds the record for the most goals scored by a goalkeeper on the international stage. He scored a total of 67 goals throughout his career. If there is a question about goalkeepers who have ever scored a hat trick, you sure would have Luis Chilavert at the top of the list.

1. Rogerio Ceni - 13

who is the highest goal-scoring goalkeeper of all time
Rogerio Ceni, head coach of Sao Paulo gestures during a match against Botafogo at Morumbi Stadium on 9 October 2022 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo: Alexandre Schneider
Source: Getty Images

Rogerio Ceni is one of the highest-scoring goalkeepers of all time. For starters, all the other mentioned keepers on the list have primarily scored from penalties, but Rogerio played in a different league. Even though he only played for Sao Paulo during his career, he is considered the greatest keeper of Brazilian football. As of 2022, he is the manager of Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Who is the highest-scoring goalkeeper in Africa?

Africa is also rich in producing some of the most amazing athletes in the world. Talk of the likes of Denis Onyango, Vincent Enyeama, Essam Elhadary, and the list could go on and on. But as of 2022, who among them is the highest-scoring goalkeeper of all time?

Edouard Mendy

who is the highest goal-scoring goalkeeper of all time
Edouard Mendy of Chelsea acknowledges the fans after the Premier League match against Leicester City on 27 August 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Craig Mercer
Source: Getty Images

Even before he joined Chelsea, Mendy had always been highly regarded and considered Africa's number one goalkeeper with 13 clean sheet spells even before his transfer.

Strikers are always known for scoring goals, and to some extent, midfielders and defenders are also known for the same role. However, goalkeepers have taken over this list. Statistics reveal Rogerio Ceni is the highest-scoring goalkeeper of all time.

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Authors
Claudia Kogi photo
Claudia Kogi
Claudia Kogi is a Kenyan content creator with over 3 years of experience. Claudia joined Sportsbrief.com as a writer in January 2022, covering sports and relatable content.