Ever tried to settle a debate at a bar about who the greatest goalscorer ever is? It usually ends in a shouting match between the Cristiano Ronaldo die-hards and the "Pele scored 1,000 goals" crowd. Honestly, both sides are kinda right and kinda wrong at the same time. The record books for top soccer scorers of all time are a beautiful, chaotic mess of grainy 1930s footage, Saudi Pro League stats, and Brazilian friendlies that may or may not have happened against army teams.
If you’re looking for a simple list, you won’t find it. Not a real one, anyway.
Depending on who you ask—FIFA, the IFFHS, or a random guy in Lisbon—the numbers shift like sand. But as of mid-January 2026, the picture is becoming clearer, mostly because one man is chasing a number that sounds like it belongs in a video game.
The race to 1,000 goals: Ronaldo vs. the ghost of the past
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently sitting at 959 official goals. He’s 41 years old this February. Most people his age are struggling with a Sunday league hamstring pull, but he’s out here in Riyadh, still treating every tap-in like it’s a Champions League winner.
He wants 1,000. He’s said it.
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The crazy thing? He might actually do it. In 2025, he bagged 41 goals. If he stays healthy and the 2026 World Cup goes deep for Portugal, we are looking at the first human being to officially, undeniably hit four digits in professional football.
Then you have Lionel Messi. He’s right on the cusp of 900. While Ronaldo is a machine built for the box, Messi’s goal-scoring has slowed down a bit in Miami as he’s leaned more into being a playmaker. But he’s still Messi. He’ll get to 900 this year, likely before the summer heat hits Florida.
But why does everyone argue about these numbers?
Because of guys like Josef Bican and Pele.
The "Official" vs "Unofficial" nightmare
The biggest headache in tracking the top soccer scorers of all time is deciding what counts as a "match."
Take Josef Bican. For decades, he was the king. The RSSSF (Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation) once credited him with over 948 goals. FIFA used to say 805. Now, most modern historians have settled on somewhere around 722 or 805 depending on whether you count goals scored in the Czech second division during the war years.
It’s a mess.
Then there’s Pele. The legend claimed over 1,200 goals. And he did score them! But a huge chunk of those came in "tour games" where Santos would travel the world playing friendlies against anyone who would pay. Some were top European clubs; others were basically local All-Star teams or even military squads.
If we only look at "competitive" matches—league games, cups, and internationals—Pele sits at 762. Still an insane number, but it’s why Ronaldo passed him years ago in the "official" eyes of the world.
The current top 5 (The "Believe These" Numbers)
- Cristiano Ronaldo: 959 goals. Undisputed at the top of the official count.
- Lionel Messi: 896 goals. Closing in on that 900-mark.
- Pele: 762 goals. (Though his fans will fight you for the 1,281 figure).
- Romário: 756 goals. Another Brazilian who claims 1,000+ if you count his youth games and beach soccer.
- Ferenc Puskás: 725 goals. The "Galloping Major" who did it for Hungary and Real Madrid with a left foot that worked like a sledgehammer.
Why nobody talks about the guys in the middle
We always focus on the superstars, but the list of top soccer scorers of all time has some deep cuts that most fans ignore. Ever heard of Jimmy Jones? Probably not unless you’re from Lurgan. He scored over 640 goals, mostly in the Irish League.
Then there’s Robert Lewandowski.
People forget how consistent this guy is. He’s currently at 687 goals and still leading the line for Barcelona. At 37, he’s having a bit of a "second youth" under Hansi Flick. He won't catch Ronaldo, but he’s comfortably passed Gerd Müller (634) and is breathing down the neck of Puskás.
The gap between "legendary" and "world-class" is usually found in the longevity. It’s one thing to have three seasons where you score 50 goals. It’s another to do it for twenty years.
The Haaland problem: Will the records even last?
If you want to see what the future of this list looks like, look at Erling Haaland.
The guy is a glitch.
He just hit his 100th Premier League goal in record time. He has 55 goals for Norway in just 48 games. He’s 25. If he stays at this rate and plays until he’s 35, he’s going to shatter every record we’re talking about today.
But there’s a catch.
Ronaldo and Messi rarely got injured. They were made of vibranium. Haaland is a massive human being who puts immense stress on his joints. Whether his body allows him to play 1,200 games like Ronaldo is the only thing that will stop him from becoming the undisputed #1.
What this means for how we watch the game
Stats aren't everything. We know that. A 30-yard screamer in a World Cup final is "worth" more in our hearts than a penalty in the Saudi league. But the raw data tells a story of obsession.
When you look at the top soccer scorers of all time, you aren't just looking at talent. You're looking at guys who were obsessed with the net to a degree that is probably slightly unhealthy.
If you want to track this yourself, stop looking at Wikipedia every day. Follow the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) or the RSSSF for the most vetted, academic-level data. They do the hard work of verifying whether a goal in the 1944 Bohemian-Moravian league actually happened.
Next steps for the stat-obsessed:
Check out the current Saudi Pro League and MLS Golden Boot races. Those are the two places where the all-time list is being rewritten in real-time. If you really want to get nerdy, look into "Goals per Game" ratios—that’s where guys like Fernando Peyroteo (1.6 goals per game) make Ronaldo and Messi look like amateurs.