Some of the finest players in football history have dominated the list of the highest international goal scorers. These renowned players not only succeeded at the club level, but also left an everlasting imprint on international football by frequently scoring for their respective national teams. These players are remembered for their amazing ability to score on the international level.

These footballers have achieved great success not only with their clubs, but also on the international level. Their goal-scoring prowess has made them household names in world football.

Let us take a deeper look at the top five highest international goal scorers of all time:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (2001- present)

924 goals in 1,256 games 

Ronaldo, a modern great for Portugal, Manchester United, and Real Madrid, has won everything in the game and continues to thrive today. Ronaldo is the only player to have scored in five different World Cups, yet he isn’t done yet, with the man himself claiming that talk of retirement is premature.

In fact, Ronaldo has shattered additional records, signing the most expensive contract in sports history with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr until the summer of 2025, for a salary of £178 million. He attained the astounding milestone of 500 career league goals while with the club, and he contributed 100 goals for them in January.

On the international level, he already has almost 200 caps, a world record, and has scored 135 goals for his country. Ronaldo has also became the first player in history to achieve 927 career goals, and he hopes to reach 1000 before retiring.

2. Lionel Messi (2003 – present)

851 goals in 1081 games 

Messi, a true legend, has won several medals to go with his goals, including an unprecedented eight Ballon d’Or titles. Now at Inter Miami in the United States, the Argentine has a few years remaining to add to his impressive score and is aiming for 900 career goals.

Messi scored seven goals at the World Cup in Qatar, two of which came in the dramatic penalty shootout victory over France in the final, which will undoubtedly go down as the highlight of his career. He scored almost 650 goals for Barcelona before joining PSG, where he added 32 more.

The icon currently plays in the MLS and continues to score goals while also representing Argentina on the international scene, helping them win the 2024 Copa America.

3. Josef Bican (1931-1956)

805+ goals in 530+ games
Josef “Pepi” Bican was an Austrian-Czech professional football striker. Some consider him the greatest goalscorer in the sport’s history.

During his athletic peak, he was said to be capable of running 100 metres in 10.8 seconds, which was comparable to the top sprinters of the time. After retiring from playing, Bican became a manager, coaching numerous clubs from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Between 1937 and 1948, the famous striker scored an amazing 395 goals in 217 appearances for Slavia Prague. He also played for other clubs in Czechia, scoring an incredible quantity of goals.

This implies that Bican was football’s all-time leading goalscorer for more than 60 years before being surpassed. Although he is reported to have scored about 1,500 goals in all during his playing career, only 805 of them were registered by FIFA.

4. Romario (1985 – 2007)

772 goals 994 games

Romario de Souza Faria, or simply Romario, is a Brazilian politician and former professional footballer. A prolific striker known for his clinical finishing, he scored over 700 goals and is one of the few players to have scored at least 100 for three different clubs.

Romario guided Brazil to World Cup victory in 1994, scoring five goals during the tournament. He had a successful career with a lot of elite clubs across the world.

The forward played for ten different teams, totaling over 700 games. His most successful period in front of goal came during his tenure at PSV, where he scored 98 goals in 110 matches. Romario also scored 55 goals in 70 appearances for his country.

Romario has also played for other European clubs, including PSV Eindhoven, FC Barcelona, and Valencia. However, Romario did not win the Ballon d’Or due to the eligibility criterion. However, he was recognized in 1994.

5. Pele (1957 – 1977)

757 goals in 831 games

One of the greatest players in history, having won the World Cup three times.Pele only played for two clubs but led Brazil to victory throughout his career.

During his 656 competitive games for Santos, he averaged nearly a goal per game and claimed to have scored over 1,000 times.However, it is widely known that hundreds of those goals occurred during tours or friendly matches. Pele would have told you otherwise.

When the Brazilian legend, who was then playing for the New York Cosmos, came to India for a friendly versus Mohun Bagan, one of the country’s oldest and most famous football clubs, it was a historic occasion. Kolkata, a city that considers football more than just a sport, erupted in joy.

According to the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, Pele died at 3:27 p.m. Due to multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous medical condition,
the icon died in 2022, but his impact continues in the football world.