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#4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (554 goals)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of only four active footballers to have scored over 500 goals for club and country. Ibrahimovic has scored nearly as many club goals (492) as Suarez has scored for club and country (496). Overall, Zlatan has racked up 554 goals in 929 appearances.
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The Swedish international has been playing football since the late 1990s and has scored at least one goal in four different decades. Despite representing a host of top European clubs, he hasn’t won a Champions League title yet.
While his goal-to-game ratio might not be as good as the likes of Suarez and Lewandowksi, the 41-year-old deserves immense credit for his longevity. He is still going strong in Serie A with AC Milan, which is a testament to his fitness, drive and quality.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (567 goals)
Robert Lewandowski is by far the most productive striker at the moment. The Bayern Munich striker broke Gerd Muller’s long-standing record of most goals in a Bundesliga season by accumulating 41 strikes in just 29 appearances last season.
The 33-year-old is arguably at the peak of his powers. Lewandowski is currently on 567 goals and should easily cross the 600-goal mark. He has been nothing short of exemplary for the last two years and is unlucky not to win a single Ballon d’Or despite being a goal-scoring machine.
The Polish forward has been equally adept at scoring goals with and without world-class players around him, which is evident by his record internationally. While Suarez might be the best all-round number 9 of the 21st century, Lewandowski is certainly the most prolific.
#2 Lionel Messi (758 goals)
Lionel Messi is not only the second-highest active goalscorer but also ranks exceptionally high when it comes to all-time top scorers in football. The Argentine magician has been at the top of his game for well over a decade and continues to mesmerise football fans.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored 678 goals at club level and 80 times for Argentina. In 2012, Messi scored an unbelievable 91 goals, the highest number of official goals in a calendar year. With 672 goals, he is also Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scorer.
During his illustrious career, Messi has netted 768 times for club and country. Apart from being one of the most efficient and leading goal scorers, Messi is also known for his dribbling and creativity. La Pulga has recorded in excess of 450 assists, which ranks him highest among the players of his generation.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (803 goals)
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest active and all-time top scorer in football with 803 goals under his belt. The Portuguese legend has been a consistent scorer of goals throughout the last couple of decades. He has won numerous Golden Boot awards along the way.
Ronaldo is the highest-scoring international player of all time with 115 goals. In the Champions League, the 37-year-old has racked up 140 goals, higher than anyone since the competition began. Ronaldo is also Real Madrid’s record goal-getter at 450 strikes.
Those numbers are not enough to do justice to Ronaldo’s ability. He has already scored over 800 goals and should score at least another 50. It will be a gigantic task for any future footballer to break the Manchester United legend’s record.
