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South American players, for the longest time, have been the most technically gifted individuals in the world of football. The attackers, in particular, have often produced jaw-dropping skills and sensational goals.
A strong case has been made for the superiority of the skills of South American footballers over the last two decades, which has seen several players from the continent make it big in Europe. However, only a few of them have scored goals on a consistent basis for a long period of time.
On that note, let's take a look at 5 South American players with the most goals in Europe since 2000.
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Note: Only the top five leagues in Europe have been considered
#5 Gonzalo Higuain (237)
Gonzalo Higuain, despite playing in the Major League Soccer (MLS) since September 2020, has been one of the best strikers in Europe over the last 10 years.
The Argentine arrived in Europe as a 20-year-old in January 2007 after sealing a move to Real Madrid from River Plate. Although he did not produce glowing numbers in Spain, he did achieve success in the form of multiple trophies.
However, Napoli decided to bank on him in 2013 and it turned out to be a good decision as Higuain was a revelation for them. The striker scored 71 league goals for them in three seasons, including scoring 36 times in 35 games in the 2015-16 campaign.
Hence, Juventus splurged the cash on the centre-forward in 2016. Although his first two seasons at the club were noteworthy, Higuain was loaned out for the next two seasons before he decided to move to Inter Miami in 2020.
Higuain scored 237 league goals during his 13 years in Europe, with most of them coming during his time in Serie A. Although not the most prolific centre-forward, Napoli fans will have fond memories of their South American star.
#4 Luis Suarez (245)
Luis Suarez is arguably the best striker of his generation, given his accolades and statistics.
The Uruguayan arrived at Ajax in 2007 and made a name for himself there. He eventually moved to one of Europe's top five leagues in 2011 when Liverpool agreed to a deal for him to move to Anfield.
This is where Suarez came into the limelight, as he scored 69 goals in 110 Premier League games. This included him winning the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2013-14 season for scoring 31 times.
His performances led to Barcelona making him their second-most expensive player of all time (at the time) by signing him for €82 million. He won four La Liga titles in his six years with Barcelona and scored 144 times for them in the league.
He added another La Liga title in 2021 whilst playing for Atletico Madrid, for whom he scored 32 league goals. Suarez, who is currently playing for Nacional, has scored 245 goals in Europe's top five leagues. Given that he shall turn 36 next year, it is likely that he will retire in his South American native country of Uruguay.
#3 Sergio Aguero (259)
Sergio Aguero was one of the best in the business during his time in Europe and his numbers speak for themselves.
The ferocious Argentine broke into Europe's top five leagues in 2006 after Atletico Madrid signed him from Independiente. Although he only scored six times in his first La Liga campaign, he smashed 68 goals in his next four seasons.
This convinced Manchester City to make him their second-most expensive purchase at the time, at €40 million. It proved to be a bargain fee in the first season itself as Aguero won them their first Premier League title ever. This included him scoring emphatically on the final day against Queens Park Rangers.
The South American became an instant hit at the club after that and went on to win four more league titles with the Citizens. During his decade-long time at City, Aguero scored 184 Premier League goals before joining Barcelona in 2021.
However, after scoring once in four games for the La Liga side, he decided to retire following a health scare. Regardless, Aguero will go down as one of the most feared strikers in the Premier League era and one of the best imports from South America.
#2 Edinson Cavani (262)
Edinson Cavani has silently gone on to become one of the most accomplished centre-forwards of the 21st century.
The striker from South America first displayed his talent in Europe when he joined Palermo in January 2007. He scored 34 league goals in his three-and-a-half seasons at the club before making the step up and joining Napoli.
Cavani's efficiency in goal got even better during his time in Naples as he recorded 79 Serie A goals during his three seasons at the club. Hence, Paris Saint-Germain decided to seal a move for him in 2013.
He went on to win six Ligue 1 titles in his seven seasons at the club and scored 138 league goals for them. During this period, he also became PSG's highest goal-scorer of all time (200 goals), albeit Kylian Mbappe (181 goals) might break that record soon.
Cavani has since played at Manchester United for two seasons before joining Valencia this summer. The Uruguayan has scored 262 league goals in Europe so far and could still increase his tally before he decides to hang up his boots. Another legend from South America.
#1 Lionel Messi (484)
Lionel Messi is regarded by many as the greatest player to ever grace the game and his goals certainly make a case for the same.
The mercurial magician arrived in La Masia in 2000 after impressing as a kid at Newell's Youth Academy. He eventually made his senior debut in 2004 and went on to make history.
The Argentine attacker won the La Liga title on 10 occasions, while being named La Liga Player of the Year nine times. During his 17 years in the Spanish top-flight, Messi won the Pichichi award (top scorer) eight times.
Hence, it should come as no surprise that despite leaving Barcelona last year, the South American maestro is the all-time top scorer (474 goals) in La Liga history. Since his move to PSG last summer, Messi has scored 10 times in Ligue 1, taking his overall tally of league goals to 484.
The finest goal-scorer in European football, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner will be keen to add many more goals to his tally before he retires.
