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Scoring goals is ultimately the most important part of football. While football is a team sport, no side can thrive without having proven goalscorers on their side. Players who are groomed in that manner from a very young age show a sort of predatory instinct when they are in and around the final third.
They know where to pop up and when to pounce. Strikers are of various types. There is the target man, the fox-in-the-box, the classic number 9 and the list goes on. In the 21st century football, we have seen players who fit those molds and are exemplary at doing what they're tasked with accomplishing, which is scoring goals.
There has never been any shortage of world-class strikers in football. The Europe's top five leagues are the top tier of professional club football. Without further ado, let's take a look at five players with the most goals in Europe's top five leagues in the 21st century.
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#5 Edinson Cavani - 261 goals
Edinson Cavani is one of the best finishers in the modern game. Despite turning 34, the Uruguayan international continues to showcase high energy levels every time he is on the pitch. He embodies the Uruguayan warrior spirit and is a dogged presence in the final third.
Cavani was introduced to the European top 5 leagues when he joined Palermo in 2007. After spending three seasons there, Cavani moved to Napoli on loan. The Partenopei then made the move permanent in the subsequent summer and Cavani would go on to become a phenomenal player for them.
Over the course of his stints with Palermi and Napoli, Cavani scored 112 goals in Serie A. He then joined Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain. Cavani 138 goals in 200 Ligue 1 appearances for PSG.
The 34-year-old arrived at Manchester United in the summer of 2020 on a free transfer. He has scored 11 goals in the Premier League, taking his overall top 5 European league goal tally to 261.
#4 Robert Lewandowski - 293 goals
Robert Lewandowski is inarguably the most prolific striker on the planet right now. Many still believe that the 2021 Ballon d'Or should have gone to the Polish international. Lewandowski has made a habit of shattering goalscoring records in recent times.
He recently broke Gerd Muller's record for scoring the most number of goals in a single Bundesliga season (40) by netting 41. Lewandowski first made a name for himself at Borussia Dortmund, for whom he scored 74 goals in the Bundesliga between 2010 and 2014.
He is currently at Bayern Munich and has scored a whopping 219 goals for the Bavarians in just 234 Bundesliga appearances.
#3 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 300 goals
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an absolute phenomenon. He recently turned 40 but is still a top striker. In fact, he is the first-choice striker for AC Milan, one of the most storied clubs in Europe. The Swedish international is a prolific striker with great technical abilities.
Standing at 195 cms, he can also double up as a target man. Ibrahimovic is known for his big personality and elite mentality. Ibrahimovic has played for a number of European giants including Manchester United, PSG, Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus.
He scored 16 La Liga goals during his stay at Barcelona. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored 154 goals in 266 Serie A appearances for Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan. In his four-year stint with PSG, Zlatan scored 113 goals in Ligue 1. He also scored 17 Premier League goals during his stay at Manchester United.
#2 Lionel Messi - 475 goals
Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time. He is one of the most complete players to have graced the game and it's hard to find players who are more technically gifted than the Argentina international.
Messi, who won a record seventh Ballon d'Or this year, has only played for two clubs in his career. He spent 17 years with Barcelona's senior side before leaving the club this past summer to join PSG.
Messi has scored 474 goals in La Liga for Barcelona. He hasn't really hit his stride in Ligue 1 for PSG and still only has one goal from nine league appearances. The 34-year-old is one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the game and it will only be a matter of time before he is back to his best.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 483 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo might just be the greatest goalscorer in the history of the game. The Portuguese international continues to be one of the most prolific strikers in Europe's top five leagues.
He is the leading goalscorer in men's international football with 115 goals to his name. Ronaldo has played in three of Europe's top five leagues, namely the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.
He has enjoyed incredibly successful stints with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Ronaldo scored 311 goals in 292 La Liga appearances for Los Blancos. In 98 Serie A games for Juventus, Ronaldo netted 81 times.
He has since returned to his former club Manchester United and has been one of their best players so far this term. Ronaldo has scored 91 goals in the Premier League so far in his career.
