Football is a sport where scoring goals matters a lot. Even one goal can change a game’s outcome. Goals decide matches, often with only a few scored. Players who score goals are highly valued in football history, as seen in awards like the Ballon d’Or. Lionel Messi recently won his seventh Ballon d’Or. But the ultimate recognition for goal-scorers is winning matches and team honors. Throughout football history, great attackers have changed the game with their skills and helped their teams win trophies.
Now, let’s see the top 10 attackers in football history.
10. Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski is a very skilled soccer player known for scoring many goals in various ways. He’s tall, athletic, and sometimes does acrobatic moves to score amazing goals that show off his unique abilities.
He has won 10 league titles and one UEFA Champions League in his career. Lewandowski has also won 12 domestic cup competitions. Over the past six or seven years, he has been very successful, winning more than 50 awards for his performances.
Recently, he won the Striker of the Year award for 2021, adding to his impressive list of achievements.
Lewandowski has scored 486 goals and made 162 assists for his teammates. He has played almost 700 games in his career, with 656 appearances for his club and national team.
He hopes to win the Ballon d’Or award next year. Many believe that if it weren’t for the COVID-19 pandemic, he might have already won this prestigious award twice.
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9. Ferenc Puskas
Ferenc Puskas was one of Europe’s best-ever strikers and one of the first soccer players to become famous worldwide because of his incredible achievements.
He scored an impressive 84 goals in 85 games for Hungary’s national team. In club soccer, Puskas scored 625 goals in 629 matches. His ability to score almost one goal per game throughout his career set him apart from other players.
Puskas won an Olympic gold medal in 1952 and led Hungary to the final of the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He also won three European Cups with Real Madrid, along with ten domestic league titles and eight awards for being the top scorer. Among these, he received four Pichichi awards, given to the top scorer in Spain’s top league during his time with Real Madrid.
After his death, FIFA established an annual award for the player who scores the ‘most beautiful goal of the year,’ named the Puskas award in honor of the legendary Hungarian player.
8. Alfredo di Stefano
Alfredo di Stefano was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Many people considered him the greatest football player ever. They called him ‘Saeta Rubia’, which means ‘blonde arrow’, because he was fast, powerful, had great endurance, and could play well in any position on the field.
Di Stefano played a big role in Real Madrid’s success in the 1950s. He helped them win eight La Liga titles and five European Cups, which is a record for the club. He also won the South American Championship with Argentina in 1947.
During his career, Di Stefano received more than 30 awards, including two Ballon d’Ors in 1957 and 1959. He was Real Madrid’s top scorer with 308 goals for many years, until Raul (323) and Cristiano Ronaldo (450) surpassed him later on.
Di Stefano finished his club career with 487 goals in 669 games across all the clubs he played for. He is truly a legend of the sport!
7. Ronaldo Nazario
Ronaldo Nazario was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started playing professional soccer at Cruzeiro in 1993. Ronaldo became famous playing for teams like PSV, Barcelona, and Inter Milan in the 1990s. He scored 125 goals for these clubs and caught the attention of Real Madrid, who bought him in 2002 for a record €46 million.
Known as ‘O Fenomeno’ or ‘The Phenomenon’, Ronaldo became a superstar for his incredible goals, often dribbling past goalkeepers with ease.
During his career, Ronaldo scored 295 goals in 453 games for his clubs, also providing 99 assists. He won two FIFA World Cups with Brazil and was runner-up once. He also won two Copa America titles with Brazil and was runner-up once.
Ronaldo received two Ballon d’Or awards and is considered one of Brazil’s greatest players alongside Pele and Garrincha.
Today, Ronaldo serves as the president of Real Valladolid, a Spanish Segunda Division club. His achievements with his clubs and the Brazilian national team ensure his legacy will never be forgotten.
6. Gerd Muller
Gerd Muller was born in Nordlingen, Germany. He started playing soccer for a local team called 1861 Nordlingen in 1963. That year, he scored an amazing 51 goals in just 31 games. His outstanding performance caught the attention of Bayern Munich, a bigger team, and he joined them.
Muller was known as ‘Der Bomber’ or ‘The Bomber’ because he was so good at scoring goals. He won the European Footballer of the Year award in 1970 and later won the UEFA European Championship in 1972 and the World Cup in 1974 with the German national team.
In the Bundesliga, which is Germany’s top soccer league, Muller scored 365 goals in 427 games. He still holds the record for the most goals scored in Bundesliga history. Recently, Robert Lewandowski scored more goals in a single season than Muller’s record, but Muller’s achievement remains legendary.
Muller also held the record for the most goals scored in World Cup history with 14 goals, a record that stood for 32 years until it was broken by Ronaldo Nazario.
Overall, Gerd Muller is remembered as one of the greatest and most exciting German strikers ever to play soccer.
5. Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry was a feared player for defenders in soccer. His speed, strength, and smart play helped him get past defenders easily. He played with confidence, much like Michael Jordan did for the Chicago Bulls, and was great at scoring goals.
Henry scored 228 goals for Arsenal, more than anyone else in the team’s history. He’s also France’s top goal scorer with 51 goals. Surprisingly, he’s also the top player in France for giving assists.
Henry won four Premier League Golden Boots and was in the top three for the Ballon d’Or award twice. He nearly won it in 2003.
He won two Premier League titles, including one where his team, Arsenal, didn’t lose a single game all season in 2003-04. Henry also won two FA Cups with Arsenal. He added the UEFA Champions League title to his trophy case in 2009 with Barcelona.
Henry also won the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and the UEFA Euros in 2000 with France. He’s considered one of the best French strikers ever.
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4. Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona was one of the greatest football players ever. He won the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award with Pele. Maradona was known for his dribbling, passing, and control of the ball. His short height helped him move quickly on the field. Opponents often tried to stop him, but he usually found a way to score, as you can see in this clip.
In his career, Maradona scored 310 goals in 589 games. He won two league titles and five cups with his clubs. In 1986, he led Argentina to victory in the FIFA World Cup, which made him a legend in football. Maradona was also famous for his unique warm-up routines.
Sadly, Diego Maradona passed away in November 2020. He will always be remembered for his passion and skill in football.
3. Pele
Pele was born in Brazil in 1940. He started playing soccer at a local club called Bauru in 1953, and then moved to Santos when he was 16 in 1956 to start his professional career. Pele became one of the most successful athletes of the 20th century.
He scored 643 goals in 659 games for Santos, winning six Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A titles. Pele also won two Copa Libertadores titles, two Intercontinental Cups, and 10 Campeonato Paulista titles with Santos.
He won three World Cups with Brazil and scored 77 goals in 92 games for his national team.
Pele is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer. He holds the Guinness World Record for scoring 1279 goals in 1363 games, including friendly matches.
After retiring from soccer in 1977, Pele has been a global ambassador for the sport. In 1999, he received an honorary Ballon d’Or for his contributions to soccer.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo started playing for Sporting CP in Lisbon when he was young. After impressing against Manchester United, he joined them for £12.24 million. He had a successful time at United before moving to Real Madrid. At Real Madrid, he won 15 trophies in nine years, including four UEFA Champions League titles. He scored 140 goals in the Champions League, the most ever. He also won two La Liga titles.
Ronaldo has won many individual awards, including five Ballon d’Ors, one FIFA World Player of the Year, and two FIFA’s The Best awards. He helped Portugal win UEFA Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.
In total, Ronaldo has scored 686 goals and made 300 assists in 914 club games. He continues to play for Manchester United, aiming to add to his impressive career achievements.
1. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina. He started playing soccer in Argentina and then joined FC Barcelona in 2000. It was at Barcelona where he became famous worldwide in sports.
Messi won an incredible 25 trophies while playing for Barcelona. He won 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. He also holds the record for winning the Ballon d’Or the most times, with seven wins, including his latest one this year.
This year, Messi achieved a major milestone by winning the Copa America with Argentina, his first major international trophy.
Messi is Barcelona’s top scorer of all time, scoring 672 goals in 786 games. He also holds the record for the most hat-tricks in La Liga, with 36.
In 2012, Messi had his best year, scoring 91 goals in one calendar year, breaking Gerd Muller’s record. He also holds the record for most goals scored for a single club with Barcelona.
Now, Messi has moved to Paris Saint-Germain for free and aims to help them win the European championship.
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