Even in this day and age of club football’s immense appeal, every football player still dreams of scoring goals while wearing the national jersey. So let’s take a look at the highest goal scorers in international football to date. A select group of players have then recorded their names in history by repeatedly feeling that same emotion. Let’s delve into the history of international football and have a look at the great names of those who made their name on the International stage for their country.
List of Top 10 International Goal Scorers in Football History
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals | Caps | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo* | Portugal | 132 | 212 | 0.62 |
| 2 | Ali Daei | Iran | 109 | 148 | 0.73 |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 109 | 187 | 0.59 |
| 4 | Sunil Chhetri | India | 94 | 151 | 0.63 |
| 5 | Mokhtar Dahari | Malaysia | 89 | 142 | 0.63 |
| 6 | Ali Mabkhout | United Arab Emirates | 85 | 114 | 0.75 |
| 7 | Romelu Lukaku* | Belgium | 85 | 119 | 0.73 |
| 8 | Ferenc Puskás | Hungary | 84 | 85 | 0.99 |
| 9 | Robert Lewandowski* | Poland | 84 | 154 | 0.55 |
| 10 | Godfrey Chitalu | Zambia | 79 | 111 | 0.71 |
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 132 Goals
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal has scored the most goals in men’s international football, with 132 goals in 212 games and counting for Portugal’s men’s national team. Since making his Portugal national team debut in 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored goals on a regular basis. He also holds the record for the most hat-tricks in international football, with ten and continues to lead his nation as their talisman in the attack.
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2. Ali Daei (Iran) – 109 Goals
Iranian icon Ali Daei is the second-highest goal-scorer with 109 goals for his country in a total of 148 matches and became the first-ever player to reach the 100-goal mark in International football. He is also the top scorer among the Asian players and the only player from Asia to score 100 goals.
3. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 109 Goals
But discussing Cristiano Ronaldo without equating him with another contemporary superstar, Lionel Messi, is a crime. The Argentine magician makes an appearance in the top 10 of this prestigious list, as is customary. Third on the all-time list of the highest-scoring international players, Lionel Messi has scored 109 goals. He is also the third most prolific goal scorer who is still playing, behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
4. Sunil Chettri (India) – 94 Goals
Remarkably, Sunil Chhetri, the football talisman from India is ranked third on the active all-time scorers’ list and fourth overall with 94 goals for the Blue Tigers. In the past ten years, Chhetri has been a big contributor to India’s football success and has become a national hero. But not just the celebrities of the twenty-first century are listed in the record books, however, the Indian captain recently announced his retirement from International football.
5. Mokhtar Dahari (Malaysia) – 89 Goals
Mokhtar Dahari known as Super Mokh’ is a legendary figure in Malaysia and Asian football was popular for his goal-scoring ability. He led Malaysia to several achievements and scored 89 goals in 142 appearances only behind Ali Daei and Sunil Chettri as the top scorer from Asia in this list.
6. Ali Mabkhout (UAE) – 85 Goals
United Arab Emirates star Ali Mabkhout is the sixth name on the list, he has scored 85 goals for UAE in 114 appearances and as many as Europe’s premium Romelu Lukaku in fewer games though against comparatively weaker opponents.
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7. Romelu Lukaku ( Belgium) – 85 Goals
One of the best modern-day strikers in the world, Romelu Lukaku has risen in the list in recent times scoring 85 goals for Belgium’s national team becoming their all-time top scorer in just 119 matches for the country. He made his debut 14 years ago at just 16 years old against Croatia in an International friendly clash.
8. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary) – 84 Goals
Legends like Ferenc Puskas of Hungary, who had an incredible goal-to-match ratio of 1:1, and scored an excellent 84 goals for his country, are honoured on the roll of honour. He is also known for his contributions to Real Madrid and is regarded as one of the greatest players in football on both club and International level.
9. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) – 84 Goals
Robert Lewandowski has achieved every single individual award for his club performances with Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He is still scoring goals with insane consistency for the club. The Polish icon has been the figure of inspiration for his country Poland as well having bagged 84 goals in 154 matches on the International level.
10. Godfrey Chitalu (Zambia) – 79 Goals
At 10th place, we have our only African player on the list Godfrey Chitalu of Zambia. He most plays in Zambia for clubs like Kabwe Warriors and Kitwe United. For Zambia, Chitalu scored 79 goals in 111 appearances and became the highest goal-soring African player in International football. He made his debut for Zambia in 1968 and concluded his career as the legend of the continent.
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FAQs
Q. Who is the highest goal scorer in international football?
A. Cristiano Ronaldo with 132 goals and counting is the highest goal scorer in international football.
Q. How does Lionel Messi rank among international goal scorers?
A. Lionel Messi ranks third with 109 goals among international goal scorers.
Q. What is Sunil Chhetri’s significance in international football?
A. Sunil Chhetri is the second highest International goal scorer in the world and the all-time top scorer for India with 94 goals.
Q. Who’s Brazil’s all-time top goal scorer?
A. Neymar Jr has 79 goals and is the Brazil’s all-time top goal scorer.
Q. Which African player has the most International goals?
A. Godfrey Chitalu is the African player who has the most International goals – 79.