Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in football history. 

With 976 goals at club and international level combined, Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list for the most goals in football. He began the 2026-27 season on that figure, which leaves him 24 short of 1,000 — a mark no player has reached in official competitive matches. At 41 he is still playing, for Al Nassr and Portugal, so the number is a floor rather than a final total.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-time rival, Lionel Messi, is second on the list for the most goals in football history. The 2022 World Cup winner reached 923 goals in August 2026 and, like Ronaldo, is still adding to it at Inter Miami.

The likes of Pele, Romário and Ferenc Puskas complete the top five list for the most goals in football history.

Apart from Ronaldo and Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Luis Suarez are the other active footballers well past 500 goals for club and country. Lewandowski went furthest: Chicago Fire announced him in June 2026 as a player with more than 700 career goals, which is enough to put him inside this top 10.

The full top 10 is below. All figures are current to 27 August 2026; the four active players on this list are all still scoring. For the international game alone, see our most goals in international football list.

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Most goals in football: Know top 10 highest goal-scorers of all-time

Rank

Player

Nationality

Span

Goals

1

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal

2002-present

976

2

Lionel Messi

Argentina

2004-present

923

3

Pele

Brazil

1957-1977

762

4

Romário

Brazil

1985-2007

755

5

Ferenc Puskás

Hungary

1943-1966

724

6

Josef Bican

Austria

1931-1955

722

7

Robert Lewandowski

Poland

2008-present

700+

8

Jimmy Jones

Northern Ireland

1947-1964

648

9

Gerd Muller

Germany

1964-1981

634

10

Joe Bambrick

Northern Ireland

1926-1943

629

Two notes on the table. Lewandowski is shown as 700+ because he is still playing and compilers differ by a handful either way; the 700 figure is his club’s own. And the totals below the top two come from historical compilations rather than a single modern database, which is why lists of this record published elsewhere do not always agree past third place.

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Cristiano Ronaldo | 976 goals

Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the top goalscorer of all time. The star forward has netted an astonishing 976 senior career goals for club and country. At the club level, Ronaldo has been a prolific goalscorer for the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus, Al-Nassr and Sporting CP. Furthermore, Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in international football. Since his senior national debut for Portugal in 2003, Ronaldo has scored 146 goals in 233 appearances. He is also the first player to score at six different World Cups, having added three goals in 2026 — a tournament he confirmed would be his last. For his extraordinary goal-scoring record, Ronaldo bagged several individual awards including five Ballon d’Or awards, a record three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League.  

Lionel Messi | 923 goals

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi is second on the list for the most goals in football history. Arguably the greatest player in football history, Lionel Messi has mesmerised the fans with both his playmaking as well as goalscoring. The left-footed football magician has scored 923 goals in his illustrious career so far. Having spent his majority of his professional football career at FC Barcelona, Messi is the club’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals in all competitions. He has also netted a few goals for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. The Rosario-born footballer is also second on the list for the most goals in international football, on 125 in 207 caps, behind rival Cristiano Ronaldo. He scored eight at the 2026 World Cup and carried Argentina to the final, where Spain beat them 1-0 after extra time. Messi is the most decorated player in football history with 44 team trophies to his name including the FIFA World Cup, two Copa America titles, 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. On the personal front, Messi has bagged a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and was named the world’s best player for a record eight times by FIFA.

Pele | 762 goals

Pele features third on the list for the most goals in football history. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, nicknamed Pele, is often considered to be the greatest football player of all time. Among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century, Pele scored 762 goals in his legendary career at the club and international level combined. Pele’s record of 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches, including friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record. Having played as a forward and attacking midfielder, Pele won three FIFA World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970. With 77 goals in 92 games, Pele was the national team’s top scorer for over 50 years before Neymar broke the record. At the club level, Pele is the all-time top scorer for Santos with 643 goals in 659 matches. During his time, Pele helped Santos clinch the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores and the 1962 and 1963 Intercontinental Cup. He also scored 37 goals for the New York Cosmos between 1975 and 1977. 

Photo credit: Imago