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Túlio Maravilha -

The Brazilian forward scored 585 between 1987 and 2014. Túlio played mainly for Brazilian clubs. He scored 13 goals in the 15 games he played with the national squad.

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Fritz Walter -

Friedrich "Fritz" Walter was the star of 1. FC Kaiserslautern, where he spent most of his career. The German player scored 586+ goals throughout the length of his career.

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Uwe Seeler -

The Hamburger SV and West Germany national team striker is one of the greatest in the sport. Uwe Seeler scored 586 goals.

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Jimmy Greaves -

Jimmy Greaves is one of the greatest strikers in English soccer history. Throughout his career, Greaves scored 590+ goals.

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Fernando Peyroteo -

When one thinks of Portuguese goal scorers, the likes of Eusébio and Cristiano Ronaldo come to mind. But Fernando Peyroteo was also a prolific goal scorer. Between 1937 and 1949, the Sporting CP player scored 598 times.

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Fred Roberts -

Fred Roberts was a Northern Irish player who spent most of his career playing for Glentoran and Distillery in the 1920s and '30s. Fred Roberts scored 608+ goals throughout his career.

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Stan Mortensen -

The English player made history in 1953 when he became the only player ever to score a hat trick in a FA Cup Final. Mortensen was also the first player to score for England at a World Cup. He scored 610+ goals in total.

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Gyula Zsengellér -

The Hungarian striker is best known for his time at Újpest FC. Zsengellér scored 33 goals in 39 caps for Hungary. In total, he scored 611+ goals between 1938 and 1962.

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Boy Martin -

David Kirker Martin, best known as Boy Martin, was a Northern Irish player who played mostly in England, in clubs such as Notts County. He scored 612+ goals in his 17-year career.

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Joe Smith -

The English player scored 616+ goals between 1908 and 1931. Joe Smith went on to manage Blackpool for 23 years and made history in 1953 when he won the club's first and only FA Cup final.

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Eusébio -

Before Cristiano Ronaldo came onto the scene, Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was considered the greatest soccer player ever to come out of Portugal. SL Benfica's "Black Panther" scored 634+ goals throughout his career.

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Ferenc Bene -

The Újpesti Dózsa and Hungary striker was the top scorer at the 1964 Summer Olympics, where his team won gold. Ferenc Bene scored 635 times in his career.

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Tom Waring -

Tom Waring was an Englishman known for being one of the greatest players in Aston Villa's history. Waring's career spanned from 1924 to 1948, and he scored 670+ goals in 700-plus games.

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Ernst Wilimowski -

Ernst Wilimowski, also known as "Ezi," is one of the greatest goal scorers to come out of Poland. He made history in 1938 by becoming the first player ever to score four goals in a single World Cup game. Ezi scored 683+ goals throughout his career.

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Robert Lewandowski -

Unlike other players on this list thus far, Robert Lewandowski is still active. The Polish soccer star has scored over 685 goals (so far) for both his clubs and his country.

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Joe Bambrick -

The Northern Irish forward played for clubs such as Linfield, Chelsea, Walsall, and Glentoran. Joe Bambrick scored 690+ goals in total.

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Sammy Hughes -

Sammy Hughes is best known for playing for Glentoran in the 1950s. Between 1943 and 1963, the Northern Irish player scored 722+ goals in 752 matches.

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Gerd Müller -

One of Germany's greatest players ever, Gerd Müller has won multiple competitions, including the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup. With regards to goals, Müller scored 735 times. 

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Tommy Lawton -

Tommy Lawton had an outstanding career in English soccer, playing for clubs such as Everton, Chelsea, Notts County, and Arsenal, to name a few. The English Football Hall of Fame inductee scored 743+ times in his career.

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Pelé -

Pelé is not just one of the greatest soccer players in the history of the sport, but also a pop culture icon. Between 1956 and 1977, the Brazilian soccer star scored 778 goals in 851 matches.

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Romário -

Next is also one of Brazil's greatest: Romário. The soccer star has scored a total of 785 goals throughout his career. He's basically been retired since 2008-2009, but in 2024 he appeared in a game for the Brazilian team he's the president of: America Football Club.

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Abe Lenstra -

The Dutch player is one of the best to come out of the Netherlands. The Heerenveen forward scored 789+ times.

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Ferenc Deák -

The Hungarian striker played for clubs such as  Szentlőrinci AC, Ferencváros, and Budapesti Dózsa.  Deák scored 796+ goals in 515 matches.

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Ferenc Puskás -

If you recognize that last name it's likely because of the FIFA Puskás Award, which recognizes the "most beautiful goal" over the past year. The Hungary-born player played internationally for both Hungary and Spain. Ferenc Puskás won multiple titles throughout his career, including three European Cups (now Champions League). In total, he scored 802 goals.

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Jimmy Jones -

The Northern Irish forward is one of the top goal scorers of all time. Jones scored 220 goals in 11 years while playing for Glenavon. In total, he scored 840+ goals throughout his career.

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Lionel Messi -

Lionel Messi is indisputably one of the greatest players of all time. The Argentinian star has broken numerous records, mainly while playing for FC Barcelona and his national team. Messi has scored 867 times (so far).

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Cristiano Ronaldo -

The Portuguese soccer star is the top goal scorer in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) ranking. In the RSSSF ranking, however, he sits in fourth place. Still, Ronaldo has a whopping 914 goals in over 1,200 games (so far).

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Ronnie Rooke -

In third place we have the English center forward Ronnie Rooke. He played for 10 clubs over three decades, and scored 934+ goals.

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Josef Bican -

The runner-up on the RSSSF ranking is Austrian-Czech player Josef "Pepi" Bican, with 950+ goals.

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Erwin Helmchen -

The top goal scorer according to the RSSSF is Erwin Helmchen. Between 1924 and 1951, the German player scored 989+ goals.

Sources: (Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation)

See also: Soccer players who grew up in poverty

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