The highest goal scorer in football history is Cristiano Ronaldo, with over 929 goals scored in official matches for club and country as of 2025. He leads the all-time scoring charts, surpassing other legendary players such as Lionel Messi and Pelé. Ronaldo has scored 929 goals in his career spanning from 2002 to the present, including being the top scorer in international football with 136 goals for Portugal
. Other notable top scorers include:
- Lionel Messi with around 879 to 855 goals and still active
- Pelé with 762 goals in his career from 1957 to 1977
- Josef Bican with over 950 goals, though some records vary
While some historical players like Erwin Helmchen and Josef Bican have claims to extremely high goal totals (989+ and 950+ respectively), Cristiano Ronaldo is widely recognized as the highest official goal scorer in modern football history by FIFA and other major record keepers
. In summary, Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the highest number of official goals scored in football history.
