World’s Top Goalscorer of 2007 according to IFFHS

“Soccer is a world made of numbers”. A phrase which would make any mathematician proud, with the eternal claim that you can find mathematics anywhere.

And where better to find numbers than Goal Totals: the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), the famous (and often criticized) organization that chronicles the history of football, has just published its World’s Top Goal Scorer of 2007 ranking.

No, the results are further from probably anything you may expect.

Indeed, the criteria for selection are goals scored in full “A” international matches (i.e. with the national team), as well as goals scored in [inter]continental club competitions (i.e. UEFA Champions’ League, Copa Libertadores, and the like). No room for national competitions. As a result, this year’s topscorer turns out to be congolese striker Trésor Mputu Mabi, followed by Paraguayan Salvador Cabanas and (finally a well-known name) Argentine Juan Román Riquelme.

Trésor Mputu, a 22-year old playing for Congolese club TP Mazembe Lubumbashi (sounds Japanese doesn’t it?), achieves his total of 20 goals by grabbing, among others, the topscorer title of the African Champions League and the African CAF Cup (still ongoing)! This, according to IFFHS’s data, elects him World’s Top Goal Scorer of 2007.

In case you’re wondering “Ok, but how good is this guy really?”, Mputu is already in the crosshairs of many European clubs, including Arsenal and Sevilla. He gets the personal thumbs up of Claude Le Roy, ex manager of Cameroon and Congo, and who is now coaching the Black Stars of Ghana (in other words, someone who’s been around African soccer for quite a while). As a reminder, Le Roy was the one that launched Samuel Eto’o during the 1998 World Cup in France, when the Cameroonian was still only 17 years old.

Right behind Mputu, we find 27-year old Club América striker Salvador Cabañas (responsible for 14 goals with the Mexican club and 4 goals in the Paraguyana national team) ranked 2nd with 18 goals, and Juan Román Riquelme in 3rd position with 17 (8 goals with Boca Juniors, 9 goals with Argentina). Riquelme would have probably been ranked higher, had he not been excluded from the recent FIFA Club World Cup in Japan (due to his late transfer from Villareal).

Dimitar Berbatov (top) and Cristiano Ronaldo (bottom)Noh Alam Shah (top) and Ricardo Kaká (bottom)To find the first European-based players we have to drop down to 5th spot, right after Noh Alam Shah of Singapore’s Tampines Rovers FC, and his 15 goals. At nº5 we find Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year winner Kaká (14 goals, 9 club – 5 internat’l), followed by Tottenham’s Dimitar Berbatov (13 goals, 5-8) and Man Utd’s Cristiano Ronaldo (13 goals, 8-5).

First Italian player in the ranking: the ever-eternal Pippo Inzaghi, ranked 11th with 12 goals (10 in the CL, 2 with the Azzurri). Luca Toni is 28th with 10 goals.
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About the IFFHS and FULL RANKING

The IFFHS was founded in 1984 and is based in Bonn, Germany. Since 1991, the entity has also produced a monthly club world ranking. You can find the full World’s Top Goal Scorer of 2007 rankings on their official website.

In the table below you can find the full “World’s Top Goalscorer of 2007′ rankings. I’ve modified the columns a little bit, such as to clearly display club and international goals. Also, I’ve highlighted in bold all players based in Europe (UEFA).

The legend displays which world federation the player’s clubs belongs to:
AFC = Asian Football Confederation (Asia)
CAF = Confederation of African Football (Africa)
CONCACAF = Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (North America)
CONMEBOL = Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South America)
OFC = Oceania Football Confederation (Oceania)
UEFA = Union Européenne de Football Association (Europe)

The separation of players by club federation yields interesting totals. Top-ranked is the UEFA federation with 64 players, and it comes to no surprise as the best players (and hence topscorers) are based in Europe. However, lower ranks reserve a few surprises.

UEFA (Europe)
64
AFC (Asia)
26
CAF (Africa)
10
CONCACAF (North Am.)
12
CONMEBOL (South Am.)
14
OFC (Oceania)
3

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Rank
Name
Club Team
Club Federation
Nat’l Team
GOALS
Club
Nation
Total

1
Trésor Mputu Mabi
TP Maz. Lubumbashi
CAF (Africa)
Congo DR
19
1
20
2
Salvador Cabañas
Club América de México
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Paraguay
14
4
18
3
Juan Román Riquelme
Boca Juniors
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Argentina
8
9
17
4
M. Noh Alam Shah K.
Tampines Rovers FC
AFC (Asia)
Singapore
3
12
15
5
Kaká
AC Milan
UEFA (Europe)
Brazil
9
5
14
6
Dimitar Berbatov
Tottenham
UEFA (Europe)
Bulgaria
5
8
13
7
Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United
UEFA (Europe)
Portugal
8
5
13
8
Yasser Al-Qahtani
Al-Hilal FC Riyadh
AFC (Asia)
Saudi Arabia
0
12
12
Sarayoot Chaikamdee
Pisico B.D. Qui Nhon
AFC (Asia)
Thailand
0
12
12
Osea Vakatalasau
Nokia Eagles United
OFC (Oceania)
Fiji
0
12
12
11
Filippo Inzaghi
AC Milan
UEFA (Europe)
Italy
10
2
12
12
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Villarreal CF
UEFA (Europe)
Denmark
4
7
11
13
Faisal Al-Ajab
Al-Merreikh Omdurman
AFC (Asia)
Sudan
6
5
11
Diego Forlán
Atletico Madrid
UEFA (Europe)
Uruguay
6
5
11
15
Razek Omotoyossi
Helsingborg IF
UEFA (Europe)
Benin
8
3
11
Blas A. Miguel Pérez
Cúcuta Deportivo
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Panamá
8
3
11
17
Frédéric Kanouté
Sevilla FC
UEFA (Europe)
Mali
9
2
11
18
Siu-Ki Chan
Kitchee FC
AFC (Asia)
Hong Kong
0
10
10
Seule Soromon
Suva FC
AFC (Asia)
Vanuatu
0
10
10
20
Tae-Se Jong
Kawasaki Frontale
AFC (Asia)
Korea DPR
2
8
10
21
Eduardo Da Silva
Arsenal
UEFA (Europe)
Croatia
3
7
10
22
Robinho
Real Madrid CF
UEFA (Europe)
Brazil
4
6
10
Steffen Iversen
Rosenborg BK
UEFA (Europe)
Norway
4
6
10
Lionel Messi
FC Barcelona
UEFA (Europe)
Argentina
4
6
10
Marco Streller
FC Basel
UEFA (Europe)
Switzerland
4
6
10
David Villa
Valencia CF
UEFA (Europe)
Spain
4
6
10
27
Flávio Amado da Silva
Al-Ahly Cairo
CAF (Africa)
Angola
5
5
10
28
Luca Toni
Bayern Munich
UEFA (Europe)
Italy
6
4
10
29
Luís Fabiano
Sevilla FC
UEFA (Europe)
Brazil
8
2
10
30
Moham. A.A. Chermiti
Etoile Sp. du Sahel
CAF (Africa)
Tunisia
9
1
10
31
Henrik Larsson
Man U. + Helsingborg
UEFA (Europe)
Sweden
10
0
10
32
Landon Donovan
Los Angeles Galaxy
CONCACAF (N.A.)
USA
0
9
9
33
Maksim Shatskikh
Dinamo Kyiv
UEFA (Europe)
Uzbekistan
1
8
9
34
Abdelhamid Amari
Al-Merreikh Omdurman
CAF (Africa)
Sudan
2
7
9
Issam Jomaa
RC Lens
UEFA (Europe)
Tunisia
2
7
9
36
Aleksandr Kerzhakov
Sevilla FC
UEFA (Europe)
Russia
3
6
9
37
Rafael Van der Vaart
Hamburger SV
UEFA (Europe)
Netherlands
4
5
9
38
Didier Drogba
Chelsea
UEFA (Europe)
Côte-d’Ivoire
5
4
9
Mohammad Ghaddar
Al-Nejmeh Beirut
AFC (Asia)
Lebanon
5
4
9
Humberto Suazo
CSD Colo Colo Sant.
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Chile
5
4
9
41
Peter Crouch
Liverpool FC
UEFA (Europe)
England
6
3
9
42
Salem Al-Rouani
Al-Ittihad Tripoli
CAF (Africa)
Libya
7
2
9
Hugo Almeida
Werder Bremen
UEFA (Europe)
Portugal
7
2
9
Kerry Baptiste
Joe Public FC Tunap.
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Trin. & Tobago
7
2
9
Simão Sabrosa
Benfica + Atl. Madrid
UEFA (Europe)
Portugal
7
2
9
Rom. Pavlyuchenko
FC Spartak Moscow
UEFA (Europe)
Russia
7
2
9
Wayne Rooney
Manchester United
UEFA (Europe)
England
7
2
9
48
Zyad Chaabo
Al-Jaish Damascus
AFC (Asia)
Syria
0
8
8
David Healy
Leeds United
UEFA (Europe)
North. Ireland
0
8
8
50
Ismail M. Al-Junaibi
Al-Wahda Abu Dhabi
AFC (Asia)
UAE
1
7
8
51
Daniel Arismendi
Union Atl. Maracaibo
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Venezuela
2
6
8
Adrián Mutu
Fiorentina
UEFA (Europe)
România
2
6
8
53
Omar Bravo
CD Guadalajara
CONCACAF (N.A.)
México
4
4
8
José Paolo Guerrero
Hamburger SV
UEFA (Europe)
Perú
4
4
8
Mirko Vučinić
AS Roma
UEFA (Europe)
Crna Gora
4
4
8
56
Miroslav Klose
W.Bremen + Bayern
UEFA (Europe)
Germany
5
3
8
57
Ruud Van Nistelrooij
Real Madrid CF
UEFA (Europe)
Netherlands
6
2
8
58
Yssouf Koné
Rosenborg BK
UEFA (Europe)
Burkina Faso
8
0
8
Hernán Rodrigo López
Asunción + Club América
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Paraguay
8
0
8
Godwin Ndubuisi Eze
Al-Hilal Omdurman
CAF (Africa)
Nigeria
8
0
8
61
W. Sebastián Abreu
C.Nacional Montevideo
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Uruguay
0
7
7
Cong-Vinh Le
TCDK S.L. Nghe An Vinh
AFC (Asia)
Vietnam
0
7
7
Commins Menapi
Youngheart Manawatu
OFC (Oceania)
Solomon Isl.
0
7
7
Carlos Alberto Pavon
Real CD San Pedro Sula
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Honduras
0
7
7
Thanh Bình Phan
Gach D. Tam Long An
AFC (Asia)
Vietnam
0
7
7
Pipat Tonkanya
BEC T. Sasana Bangkok
AFC (Asia)
Thailand
0
7
7
67
Thierry Henry
FC Barcelona
UEFA (Europe)
France
2
5
7
Kevin Kuranyi
FC Schalke 04
UEFA (Europe)
Germany
2
5
7
69
Marcus Allbäck
FC København
UEFA (Europe)
Sweden
4
3
7
70
Steven Gerrard
Liverpool FC
UEFA (Europe)
England
5
2
7
Mamedaly Karadanov
FC HTTU Oguz Asgabat
AFC (Asia)
Turkmenistan
5
2
7
72
Sergio Agüero
Atletico Madrid
UEFA (Europe)
Argentina
6
1
7
Robbie Keane
Tottenham
UEFA (Europe)
Ireland
6
1
7
74
Zé Roberto
Santos + Bayern M.
UEFA (Europe)
Brazil
7
0
7
Cheikh Oumar Dabo
Jeunesse Sp. Kabylie
CAF (Africa)
Mali
7
0
7
Christian Gimenez
Pachuca CF
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Argentina
7
0
7
Robert Winters
SK Brann Bergen
UEFA (Europe)
Scotland
7
0
7
78
Maher Al-Sayed
Al-Wahda Damascus
CAF (Africa)
Syria
0
6
6
Fan. I. Andriatsima
FC Nantes
UEFA (Europe)
Madagascar
0
6
6
Ulugbek Bakayev
FC Tobol Qostanay
AFC (Asia)
Uzbekistan
0
6
6
Eliphène Alex. Cadet
AS Capoise Cap Haïti
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Haitï
0
6
6
John Carew
Lyon + Aston Villa
UEFA (Europe)
Norway
0
6
6
Sunil Chetri
JCT M. Phagw. Punjab
AFC (Asia)
India
0
6
6
Theofanis Gekas
Bayer Leverkusen
UEFA (Europe)
Greece
0
6
6
Gary Glasgow
Joe Public FC Tunap.
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Trin. & Tobago
0
6
6
Edmond Kapllani
Karlsruher SC
UEFA (Europe)
Albania
0
6
6
Chih-En Lo
Yilan Senior H.S.
AFC (Asia)
Chin. Taipei
0
6
6
Giancarlo Maldonado
Union Atl. Maracaibo
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Venezuela
0
6
6
Zlatan Muslimović
FC Parma
UEFA (Europe)
Bosnia Herz.
0
6
6
Andrés S.S. Quintana
Qatar SC Doha
AFC (Asia)
Qatar
0
6
6
Shane Smeltz
Wellington Phoenix
OFC (Oceania)
New Zealand
0
6
6
Euzebiusz Smolarek
RC Racing Santander
UEFA (Europe)
Polska
0
6
6
Naohiro Takahara
Eintracht Frankfurt
UEFA (Europe)
Japan
0
6
6
94
Christian R. Benítez
Club El Nacional Quito
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Ecuador
1
5
6
Roque Santa Cruz
Blackburn Rovers FC
UEFA (Europe)
Paraguay
1
5
6
Ronaldinho
FC Barcelona
UEFA (Europe)
Brazil
1
5
6
97
Walter Centeno
CD Saprissa S.J. Tibás
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Costa Rica
2
4
6
Amando Guevara
CD Mot. Tegucigalpa
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Honduras
2
4
6
Peng Han
Shandong L. Taishan
AFC (Asia)
China
2
4
6
Oliver Karekezi
Helsingborg IF
UEFA (Europe)
Rwanda
2
4
6
Mamadou Niang
Marseille
UEFA (Europe)
Sénégal
2
4
6
Adékami Olufadé
KAA Gent
UEFA (Europe)
Togo
2
4
6
103
Karim Benzema
Lyon
UEFA (Europe)
France
3
3
6
Victor Nuñez
LD Alajuelense
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Costa Rica
3
3
6
Andriy Shevchenko
Chelsea
UEFA (Europe)
Ukraina
3
3
6
Vágner Love
CSKA Moscow
UEFA (Europe)
Brazil
3
3
6
107
Odai Al-Saify
Sh. Al-O. Al-Qadisiya
AFC (Asia)
Jordan
4
2
6
René Aufhauser
Red Bull Salzburg
UEFA (Europe)
Austria
4
2
6
Aleksandar Duric
Singapore Armed Forces
AFC (Asia)
Singapore
4
2
6
R. Falcao García
River Plate
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Colombia
4
2
6
Cristiano Lucarelli
Livorno + Shakhtar D.
UEFA (Europe)
Italy
4
2
6
Obafemi Martins
Newcastle United
UEFA (Europe)
Nigeria
4
2
6
V. Martín Sánchez
Club Deportivo Toluca
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Uruguay
4
2
6
114
Dirk Kuijt
Liverpool FC
UEFA (Europe)
Netherlands
5
1
6
Saniel Kuljic
FK Austria Wien
UEFA (Europe)
Austria
5
1
6
Emad Mohammed
Sepahan Isfahan
AFC (Asia)
Iraq
5
1
6
Goran Pandev
Lazio
UEFA (Europe)
Macedonia
5
1
6
Mahmoud Shelbaieh
Al-Wahdat Amman
AFC (Asia)
Jordan
5
1
6
Fabian Taylor
Harbour View FC
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Jamaica
5
1
6
120
Andre Roberto Beto
Paraná + Litex Lov.
UEFA (Europe)
Brazil
6
0
6
Wilfried G. Bony
Issia Wazi FC
CAF (Africa)
Côte-d’Ivoire
6
0
6
Kavin Bryan
Harbour View FC
CONCACAF (N.A.)
Jamaica
6
0
6
Ricardo M. Ciciliano
Los Millonarios Bogota
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Colombia
6
0
6
João S. da Mota Neto
Seongnam Ilhwa FC C.
AFC (Asia)
Brazil
6
0
6
Awad Deeb Ragheb
Al-Wahdat Amman
AFC (Asia)
Jordan
6
0
6
Endurance Idahor
Al-Merreikh Omdurman
AFC (Asia)
Nigeria
6
0
6
Steffen Hofmann
SK Rapid Wien
UEFA (Europe)
Germany
6
0
6
Amin Ltaïef
Espérance Sp. de Tunis
CAF (Africa)
Tunisia
6
0
6
Martín Palermo
Boca Juniors
CONMEBOL (S.A.)
Argentina
6
0
6

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Marco Pantanella writes for the mCalcio blog

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