Scoring a goal is arguably the most challenging task in soccer. One needs to be in the right place at the right time, outsmart opponents, and catch the ball well enough to beat the keeper. The game has seen its fair share of good goalscorers over the years, but only a handful have attained enviable consistency to go down in the history books.
Today, we will look at select goalscorers who have scored for fun, redefining the art of goalscoring in the 21st century. As per the data procured from Transfermarkt, here are the 10 players with the most goals scored since 2001:
Special note: We have only considered goals scored in the top European leagues, associated cup competitions, and for the national team.
#10 Harry Kane – 338 goals
Bayern Munich’s newest signing, Harry Kane, kicks off the list, with the Englishman scoring 338 goals so far in 524 games.
Kane, who spent 12 years with Tottenham Hotspur’s senior team before joining Bayern Munich in August 2023, scored 280 goals and claimed 64 assists for them in 435 games across competitions. The England star, who is the second-leading scorer in Premier League history (213 goals), is Spurs’ all-time top scorer.
Kane has been serving as England’s trusted talisman since 2015. The English skipper has scored 58 times in 84 games for the Three Lions.
#9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 346 goals
One of the most acrobatic players in soccer history, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the ninth-highest scorer in the 21st century. The Sweden legend scored 346 goals in 703 games before retiring at the age of 41.
Ibrahimovic played for many top European clubs over the course of his legendary career, including Manchester United, Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). But he was at his most formidable in the French capital. He scored 156 goals and claimed 61 assists in 180 games for the club, becoming their all-time top scorer at the time. Ibrahimovic won 12 league titles in his career across clubs but surprisingly failed to win the UEFA Champions League.
Ibrahimovic is also Sweden’s all-time top scorer, with him bagging 62 strikes in 122 games.
#8 Edin Dzeko – 371 goals
Former Manchester City ace Edin Dzeko has clinched the eighth spot on the list after scoring 371 goals in 821 matches. Dzeko, who has played for Manchester City, Wolfsburg, AS Roma, and Inter Milan, has amassed two Premier League titles, one Bundesliga title, and two Coppa Italia trophies in his career, amongst others.
Dzeko enjoyed the best spell of his career at AS Roma. He spent six seasons at the club, scoring 119 goals and providing 54 assists in 260 matches. At the international level, Dzeko has scored 64 goals in 129 games for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
#7 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – 382 goals
Dutch legend Klass-Jan Huntelaar dazzled Europe with his breathtaking goals over the course of his career, scoring 382 in 703 matches.
Huntelaar joined Real Madrid in January 2009 but left the club for AC Milan after just seven months, having scored eight goals in 20 La Liga matches. Huntelaar’s AC Milan stay was also rather short, with him leaving the Italian giants after scoring seven times in 30 matches over the course of the 2009-10 season. Huntelaar finally proved his mettle at Schalke, with him going on to score 128 goals for them in 249 appearances.
The Dutchman enjoyed the best spell of his career at Ajax, however. He scored 158 goals for them in 257 matches, winning two Eredivisie titles. Before retiring, Huntelaar scored 42 goals in 76 matches for the Netherlands.
#6 Karim Benzema – 391 goals
Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema is the sixth name on this exclusive list, with the Frenchman scoring 391 goals in 745 games.
Before switching to Real Madrid in 2009, former France international Benzema plied his trade at Olympique Lyon. The center-forward scored 66 goals and provided 27 assists in 148 appearances across competitions. At the Santiago Bernabeu, Benzema turned into one of the best in the business and won the Ballon d’Or award in 2022. Prior to joining Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023, Benzema played 648 games for Los Blancos, recording 354 goals and 165 assists. He won four La Liga titles and five Champions League trophies in the Spanish capital, amongst other honors.
For France, Benzema scored 37 times in 97 games, calling it a day after he missed the 2022 FIFA World Cup with an injury.
#5 Sergio Aguero – 403 goals
Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero scored 403 goals in 730 games between Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona, and Argentina, emerging as the fifth-highest scorer in the 21st century. The Argentina icon, who retired in December 2021, scored 101 goals and provided 45 assists in 234 games for Atletico between 2006 and 2011.
The next phase of his career at Manchester City saw him emerge as one of Europe’s best players. In 10 seasons at the Etihad Stadium, the Argentine scored a whopping 260 goals and claimed 73 assists in 390 matches, becoming the Cityzens’ all-time leading goalscorer. He won five Premier League titles and six EFL Cups at City, amongst other honors.
Aguero managed to play only five games (one goal) for Barcelona before his heart condition forced him to retire in 2021.
At the international level, he represented Argentina in 101 games, scoring 41 times. He was in the La Albiceleste team that won the Copa America in 2021.
#4 Luis Suarez – 505 goals
Dubbed one of the best center-forwards the world has ever seen, Luis Suarez has scored 5o5 goals in 832 games. The Uruguayan represented Liverpool, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid in the top five European leagues, scoring a total of 437 goals in 695 matches.
The phenomenal attacker spent four seasons at Liverpool, netting 82 times and providing 46 assists in 133 matches across competitions. He switched to Barcelona in 2014 and won it all in the next six seasons, including four La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy. At Barca, ‘El Pistolero’ scored a staggering 195 goals and provided 113 assists in 283 games for the Blaugrana. Suarez joined Atletico Madrid from Barcelona in 2020 and helped them to the La Liga title in his debut season. Following another moderately successful season in front of goal, Suarez left Atletico for Gremio. Suarez scored 34 goals in 83 appearances for Los Rojiblancos.
With 68 goals scored in 137 games, Suarez is Uruguay’s all-time top goalscorer. The 36-year-0ld has won one major honor with the national team: the Copa America trophy in 2011.
#3 Robert Lewandowsi – 559 goals
Barcelona ace Robert Lewandowski sits in third place with his tally of 559 goals in 751 games for clubs and country. The Poland superstar has represented three clubs in the top five European leagues so far: Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona.
At Borussia Dortmund, he scored 103 goals and provided 42 assists in 187 matches between 2010 and 2014, winning two Bundesliga titles. Lewandowski spent the next eight seasons at Bayern Munich, netting 344 goals and providing 72 assists in 375 matches. He won eight consecutive Bundesliga titles and a Champions League in Bavaria before joining Barcelona in the summer of 2022.
At Camp Nou Lewandowski has so far scored 33 goals and provided eight assists in 47 games, winning the Pichichi Trophy and the La Liga title in his debut season.
#2 Lionel Messi – 775 goals
Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi, who left Europe in July, has amassed 775 goals in 953 appearances across competitions, emerging as one of the most efficient goal-getters in the history of soccer. The Argentina icon plied his trade at two major European clubs before joining Inter Miami. He spent 17 seasons with the Barcelona senior team, scoring a massive 672 goals and providing 303 assists in 778 games in all competitions. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League at Barcelona, amongst other honors.
Following his brilliant stint at Barca, Messi spent two mediocre years at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). At PSG, he scored 32 goals and provided 35 assists in 75 games in all competitions. He left Les Parisiens after winning a couple of Ligue 1 titles and one Trophée des Champions.
The Argentina icon is unsurprisingly his country’s leading scorer. The two-time Golden Ball winner has scored 103 goals in 175 matches for La Albiceleste, guiding them to the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – 819 goals
Having scored a massive 819 goals in 1118 games, the leading goalscorer in football history, Cristiano Ronaldo, sits proudly at the summit. The Al-Nassr ace played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus prior to his switch to Saudi Arabia in January 2023. Over two spells at United, the Portuguese superstar scored 145 goals and provided 64 assists in 346 appearances. He won three Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy at Old Trafford amongst other honors.
The most successful spell of the 38-year-old’s career came at Real Madrid, between 2009 and 2018. He scored a whopping 450 goals and claimed 131 assists in 438 appearances in all competitions, winning four Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles. Finally, during his three-season stay at Juventus, Ronaldo 101 goals and registered 22 assists in 134 games across competitions. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner bagged two Serie A titles in Turin.
Ronaldo is also Portugal’s all-time top goalscorer by a country mile. The 2016 European Champion has so far scored 123 goals in 200 international appearances.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
