A list of footballers with 500 or more goals: Goal-scoring machines

Goalscoring is one of the most coveted attributes in the footballing world. Great players, especially forwards, are criticised based on their goalscoring instincts and positioning. So who are the footballers with 500 or more goals?

Footballing greats such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and many others have inspired millions with their goalscoring abilities. They are lethal in front of goalscoring in as many ways as possible. Their abilities have led to endless debates on social media on who is the greatest among them.

List of footballers with 500 or more goals

Football is a mixture of different traits for a team to be successful, but goals win you games. Having a lethal striker is one of the best gifts a team can have and could decide whether they win titles or not. Here is a list of the most lethal soccer players with more than 500 goals:

20. Jef Mermans

The Belgian was active from 1937 to 1960. He played a total of 629 matches scoring 500 goals for the clubs he played for. The talented striker was nicknamed "The Bomb" for his enthusiastic displays. He played for Tubantia FAC, Anderlechtt and Merksem SC.

19. Roberto Dinamite

The former footballer and politician was one of the best strikers of his time, scoring 507 goals in 838 appearances. He played for Vasco da Gama, Barcelona, Portuguesa and Campo Grande. He is from Brazil.

18. Ferenc Bene

The Hungarian has one of the best goal-to-game ratios among the layers on the list. He played for Ujpesti Dozsa, Volan SC, Sepsi-78, Soroksari VOSE and Kecskemeti SC between 1961 and 1985. During this time, he scored 508 goals in 493 appearances.

17. Alfredo De Stefano

The Argentine is one of the most renowned names in football history. He was a forward for River Plate, Huracan, Millonarios, Real Madrid and Espanyol. He is among the few players who have played for three nations in his international career.

He played for Argentina, Colombia and Spain. He scored a total of 509 goals in 706 appearances.

16. Hugo Sanchez

The Mexican played for great teams such as Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Real Vallecano, Atlante, Linz, Dallas Burn, Atletico Celaya, UNAM, San Diego Sockers and America. He was a forward and scored 516 goals in 883 appearances.

15. Luis Suarez

He is regarded as one of the best strikers in modern football, especially because he was the only forward to outscore Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi during their dominant years.

He has played for great clubs like Barcelona, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Ajax, Nacional, and Groningen. The Uruguayan forward has been able to score 521 goals in

14. Zico

In his career, the Brazilian played for Flamengo, Udinese, and Kashima Antlers, scoring 522 goals in 773 appearances. He is regarded as one of the most prolific attacking midfielders ever.

13. Isidro Langara

The Spaniard scored 535 goals in 414 appearances, boasting him among the best goal ratios on the list. He played for Oviedo FC, CD Euzkadi, San Lorenzo, RC Espana and Real Oviedo.

12. Jimmy McGrory

The Scottish international scored 528 goals in 415 appearances. He played for clubs such as St Roch's, Celtic and Clydebank. He is known as one of the most prolific centre-forwards ever.

11. Eusebio

He is regarded as Benfica's greatest player ever. The Portuguese international scored 547 goals throughout his 22-year career.

He played for teams such as Sporting Lourenco Marques, Benfica, Boston Minutemen, Monterrey, Toronto Metros-Croatia, Beira-Mar, Las Vegas Quicksilvers, Uniao de Tomar, New Jersey Americans and Buffalo Stallions.

10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

He is probably one of the most majestic names in world football to have missed winning the UEFA Champions League despite playing for the best European clubs. He, however, is a prolific forward who has set various records with his explosive performances scoring 572 goals in 982 appearances.

The Swedish international has played for teams such as Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG, Manchester United and LA Galaxy.

9. Robert Lewandowski

Regarded as one of the best strikers of our generation, the Polish has scored over 572 goals in 781 appearances. He missed winning the much-coveted Ballon d'Or by a whisker.

He has played for teams such as Delta Warsaw, Legia Warsaw II, Znicz Pruszkow, Lech Poznan, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

8. Jimmy Jones

He scored 647 goals in 614 appearances. The legendary Irishman was a centre-forward for teams such as Newry City, Bangor, Portadown, Glenavon, Fulham, Larne FC and Belfast Celtic.

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7. Gerd Muller

He is regarded as one of the best, if not the best, German footballers to grace the scene. He has several records in his name playing for teams such as 1861 Nordlingen, Bayern Munich and Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He scored over 735 goals in 793 appearances.

6. Ferenc Puskas

He is knowns as one of the best strikers in world football, with a famous award named after him. The Hungarian scored over 741 goals in 746 appearances. He played for clubs such as Budapest Honved and Real Madrid.

5. Pele

The Brazilian is known as one of the best goalscorers ever. There are claims he has scored over 1000 goals. However, it is recorded that he had 767 goals in 831 appearances. He played for teams such as Santos and New York Cosmos.

4. Romario

The Brazilian scored over 772 goals in 961 appearances and is regarded as one of the best strikers to come out of Brazil. He played for Vasco da Gama, Flamengo, PSV Eindhoven, Valencia, Fluminense, Al Sadd, Miami FC, Adelaide United and America.

3. Lionel Messi

Regarded as one of the Greatest of All Time alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the Argentine has scored goals most could dream of. He is also widely praised for his playmaking abilities and certainly tops the list of footballers with 500 or more goals and assists.

He has scored over 781 goals in 989 appearances. He has played for teams such as Barcelona and PSG.

2. Josef Bican

The Austrian-Czech forward comes in at the runners-up position, scoring 805 goals in 530 appearances. He has one of the most sumptuous goal ratios on the list.

He played for teams such as Farbenlutz, Rapid Amateur, Rapid Vienna, Admira Vienna, Slavia Prague, FC Vitkovice, FC Hradec Kralove, Dynamo Prague, Slovan Liberec and Spartak Brno ZJS.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese international is regarded as the greatest goalscorer and finisher. He is also praised for his physicality and his wide range of goals. His positioning is also a trait that is hardly unnoticed.

He has scored over 817 goals in over 1134 appearances, making him the player with the most goals in world football. He has played for Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.

Who has more than 800 goals in football?

Only two players have more than 800 goals in club football. They are Cristiano Ronaldo and Josef Bican. Cristiano Ronaldo has 817 goals, while Josef Bican has 805 goals.

Which footballer has the most goals?

According to sources and as per 17 October 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo has the most goals in football. He has scored 817 goals so far.

Despite missing a few famous names, the list of footballers with 500 or more goals seems complete and will continue growing. Cristiano Ronaldo currently tops the list hoping to widen the gap with the second. Fans everywhere are curious to see who joins the list of young players such as Mbappe and Haaland.

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