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Football has changed a fair bit in recent times. The world has opened up and we're all staring straight into a plethora of possibilities. Old school values like unwavering loyalty and commitment are not exactly as intact as they used to be and that's okay.
Back in the day, playing for the badge meant so much that football players would think five times before leaving a club for another. That is far from idealistic as sometimes swapping clubs can be the best thing to do for all parties involved. In modern football, players switch clubs a lot more frequently.
As long as they give it all for the team they are playing for, who bothers? But even today, there are players who stick around at a club for so long that it becomes their home. This usually happens when the environment at a club suits the player to a T and he flourishes there.
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At times, players hit their stride in one league and cannot replicate that form elsewhere. So they stick around and play a majority of their careers in one country. On that note, let's take a look at five players who have scored the most number of goals in one league.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo (La Liga) - 311 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo is inarguably one of the greatest footballers of all time. He is also one of the greatest players in the history of Real Madrid. The Portuguese international was the top scorer in each of Real Madrid's four UEFA Champions League triumphs in the last decade.
While he was prolific in Europe's elite competition, he was no different in the Spanish top-flight. Ronaldo helped Real Madrid take the game to Barcelona, who seemed to be racing away at one point under Pep Guardiola's tutelage.
Over the course of nine seasons, the 36-year-old played 292 league games for Los Blancos. He scored a whopping 311 goals. Ronaldo was scoring more than one goal per game and that's quite simply a staggering achievement.
#4 Steve Bloomer (England Football League First Division) - 314
One of the most prolific goalscorers of the late 19th and early 20th century, Derby County's Steve Bloomer is revered and celebrated to this day. An intelligent forward, Bloomer's famous low-driven shots, known as 'daisy cutters', were nightmares to deal with for goalkeepers.
He was also prolific for the England national side, scoring 28 goals in just 23 appearances. His 314 goals from 536 games were split between Derby County and Middlesbrough but the overwhelming majority of them came for the former.
#3 Jimmy Greaves (England Football League First Division) - 357 goals
The England and Tottenham Hotspur legend Jimmy Greaves is one of the best strikers to have plied their trade in the English Football League First Division. He is the highest goalscorer in the history of the English top-flight with a whopping 357 goals to his name from 516 games.
Greaves was the top scorer in the league on six different occasions. He scored 124 goals for Chelsea before being sold to AC Milan where he had a disappointing outing. The Englishman returned to his home country with Tottenham Hotspur after half a season and went on to become Spurs' all-time top goalscorer.
Greaves subsequently played for West Ham United and, after a bout of alcoholism, played semi-professional football until he retired.
#2 Gerd Muller (Bundesliga) - 365 goals
The great Gerd Muller passed away recently and the footballing world paid tribute to one of the most prolific strikers of all time. One of the most clinical finishers the game has ever seen, Muller was a nightmare to deal with for defenders in and around the final third.
He holds the record for being the highest goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 365 goals from 427 matches. Muller won the Golden Boot in the 1970 FIFA World Cup, scoring 10 goals in the tournament.
Two years later, Muller became the top scorer at the European championship and scored two goals in the final as West Germany were crowned champions. The Bayern Munich legend then scored four goals in the 1974 FIFA World Cup including the winner in the final.
Muller's record for most goals scored (40) in a single Bundesliga season was only broken by Robert Lewandowski in the 2020-21 season. The Polish international scored 41 goals and paid tribute to Muller as he celebrated breaking the record that stood for 39 seasons.
#1 Lionel Messi (La Liga) - 474 goals
Arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Lionel Messi has been the guiding light for Barcelona in the 21st century. The legendary Argentine left his boyhood club this summer after 16 years in the senior side.
Messi is one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time. He scored a whopping 474 league goals for Barcelona from 520 games. Messi won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League titles with Barcelona.
It's hard to find a player who has had as much impact at a club as Lionel Messi has at Barcelona. The Catalans will miss him dearly and Paris Saint-Germain have every reason to be over the moon after securing his services.
