IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer of the Year
Encyclopedia
The World‘s best Top Division Goal Scorer, comes from the world's 60 top leagues, as determined by International Federation of Football History & Statistics
(IFFHS) during the previous year.
The season must end during the evaluation year (e.g., the 2005/06 season and the 2006 season constitute the evaluation year 2006). Special criteria are used for players who transfer into another seasonal rhythm. The number of goals being equal, players who played fewer league matches are ranked higher.
Since the number of league matches differs from one country to another, “The World‘s most effective Top Division Goals Scorer“ is also honoured, although he must have scored at least 20 goals. The most effective scorer is determined by dividing the number of goals by the number of league appearances. The player with the highest goal ratio is the winner.
* Need to source
, Roberto Carlos , Javier Zanetti
, Edwin van der Sar
, Luís Figo
, Cafu
, Thierry Henry
, Raúl
, Iker Casillas
, Xavi
, Andriy Shevchenko
, Lothar Matthäus
, Frank de Boer
, Clarence Seedorf
, Lilian Thuram
, Fabio Cannavaro
,
International Federation of Football History & Statistics
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics is an organization that chronicles the history and records of Association football. It was founded on 27 March 1984 at Leipzig by Dr. Alfredo Pöge with the blessings of general secretary of the FIFA at the time, Dr. Helmut Käser...
(IFFHS) during the previous year.
The season must end during the evaluation year (e.g., the 2005/06 season and the 2006 season constitute the evaluation year 2006). Special criteria are used for players who transfer into another seasonal rhythm. The number of goals being equal, players who played fewer league matches are ranked higher.
Since the number of league matches differs from one country to another, “The World‘s most effective Top Division Goals Scorer“ is also honoured, although he must have scored at least 20 goals. The most effective scorer is determined by dividing the number of goals by the number of league appearances. The player with the highest goal ratio is the winner.
All-time top goalscorers
| Rating | Player | Nation | Total | International Goals | clubs Goals | Games | Rate | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gerd Muller Gerd Müller Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the... |
 GermanyGermany national football team The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900.... |
138 | 68 | 70 | 142 | 1963-1981 | |
| 2 | Ali Daei Ali Daei Ali Daei is an Iranian retired football player and former national team coach who currently manages a local Iranian team, Rah Ahan. He is a former captain of the Iran national football team, and is the world's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches... |
 IranIran national football team The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran... |
122 | 109 | 13 | 183 | 1994-2007 | |
| 3 | Ferenc Puskás Ferenc Puskás Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954... |
  HungaryHungary national football team The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation.... |
122 | 84 | 38 | 132 | 1943-1963 | |
| 4 | Raúl Raúl González Raúl González Blanco , known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for German club Schalke 04.... |
Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
120 | 44 | 76 | 261 | 1995– | |
| 5 | Andriy Shevchenko Andriy Shevchenko Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team as a striker. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 2011-03-10, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with A.C... |
 UkraineUkraine national football team The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992... |
113 | 46 | 67 | 247 | 1993- | |
| 6 | Ronaldo Ronaldo Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the... |
 BrazilBrazil national football team The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the... |
112 | 62 | 50 | 193 | 1993-2011 | |
| 7 | Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
 FranceFrance national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
110 | 51 | 59 | 262 | 1995- | |
| 8 | Romario Romário Romário de Souza Faria , better known simply as Romário , is a former footballer who played striker,manager and current politician where is currently running for a mayor like position in his hometown... |
Brazil Brazil national football team The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the... |
109 | 55 | 54 | 146 | 1988-2007 | |
| 9 | Pelé Pelé However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time... |
Brazil Brazil national football team The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the... |
104 | 77 | 27 | 120 | 1958-1971 | |
| 10 | Hossam Hassan Hossam Hassan Hossam Hassan Hussein is a retired Egyptian footballer who played as a striker, and a current coach.A prolific goalscorer, he amassed well over 150 caps for Egypt, netting more than 50 times... |
 Egypt |
100 | 69 | 31 | 229 | 1986-2006 | |
| 11 | Eusebio Eusébio Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM , commonly known simply as Eusébio, is a retired Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward. He is considered one of the best footballers of all-time by the IFFHS, experts and fans... |
 PortugalPortugal national football team The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento... |
100 | 41 | 59 | 143 | 1960-1974 | |
| 12 | Sándor Kocsis Sándor Kocsis Sándor Kocsis Péter was a Hungarian footballer who played for Ferencváros TC, Budapest Honvéd, Young Fellows Zürich, FC Barcelona and Hungary. During the 1950s, along with Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti, he was a member of the Mighty Magyars... |
Hungary Hungary national football team The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation.... |
97 | 75 | 22 | 99 | 1948-1965 | |
| 13 | Ruud van Nistelrooy Ruud van Nistelrooy Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals... |
 NetherlandsNetherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... |
97 | 35 | 62 | 158 | 1998- | |
| 14 | Filippo Inzaghi Filippo Inzaghi Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan.... |
 ItalyItaly national football team The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than... |
97 | 25 | 72 | 173 | 1995- | |
| 15 | Henrik Larsson Henrik Larsson Henrik Edward Larsson MBE is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS.Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they qualified to Allsvenskan 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before... |
 SwedenSweden national football team The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first... |
96 | 37 | 59 | 212 | 1993-2009 | |
| 16 | Miroslav Klose Miroslav Klose Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German... |
Germany Germany national football team The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900.... |
90 | 63 | 27 | 189 | 1999- | |
| 17 | Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy... |
 CameroonCameroon national football team The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any... |
90 | 54 | 36 | 196 | 1999- | |
| 18 | Didier Drogba Didier Drogba Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team... |
 Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire national football team The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football... |
90 | 50 | 40 | 154 | 2003- | |
| 19 | Hakan Sukur Hakan Sükür Hakan Şükür is a retired Turkish footballer who played as a striker. He spent the majority of his professional career with Galatasaray, being a three-time Gol Kralı , representing the club in three different spells and winning a total of 14 major titles.Şükür represented Turkey a... |
 TurkeyTurkey national football team The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA... |
89 | 51 | 38 | 206 | 1992-2008 | |
| 20 | Hernán Crespo Hernán Crespo Hernán Jorge Crespo is an Argentine footballer who plays for Parma in the Italian Serie A. Crespo has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 18 years. His honors include an Olympic Games silver medal, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudettos. He was topscorer in... |
 Argentine |
86 | 35 | 51 | 167 | 1993- | |
| 21 | Majed Abdullah |  Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia national football team Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation... |
85 | 67 | 18* | * | 1977-1997 | |
| 22 | Bashar Abdullah |  KuwaitKuwait national football team The Kuwait National Football Team is the national team of Kuwait and is controlled by the Kuwait Football Association. They made one World Cup Finals appearance, in 1982, managing a draw with Czechoslovakia but losing to England and France. During the match against France, France scored a goal... |
85 | 75 | 8* | * | 1994-2009 | |
| 23 | Alfredo Di Stéfano Alfredo Di Stéfano Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time... |
 SpainSpain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
85 | 29 | 56 | 117 | 1946-1966 | |
| 24 | Heinz Rummenigge Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge is a German former football player.He had his greatest career success with German club Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups.A member of the German national team, Rummenigge won the... |
Germany Germany national football team The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900.... |
84 | 45 | 39 | 190 | 1974-1989 | |
| 25 | Patrick Kluivert Patrick Kluivert Patrick Stephan Kluivert is a former Dutch footballer, currently head coach of the youth side of FC Twente. He played as a striker for AFC Ajax, A.C. Milan, FC Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia CF, PSV Eindhoven, and Lille OSC. Kluivert played for the Dutch national team from 1994 to 2004. He... |
Netherlands Netherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... |
82 | 40 | 42 | 178 | 1994-2008 | |
| 26 | Dimitar Berbatov Dimitar Berbatov Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United. He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of... |
 BulgariaBulgaria national football team The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus... |
81 | 48 | 33 | 155 | 1999- | |
| 27 | Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain.... |
Italy Italy national football team The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than... |
81 | 27 | 54 | 221 | 1993- | |
| 28 | Jan Koller Jan Koller Jan Koller is Czech footballer currently playing in AFK Smetanova Lhota.As an international player he played as a striker for the Czech Republic national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for either the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia, with 55 goals in 91 caps... |
 Czech RepublicCzech Republic national football team The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek... |
80 | 55 | 25 | 153 | 1995-2010 | |
| Bold | = | Still active |
* Need to source
Winners in the years
- Award is the top scorer in the world for the player who combined the largest number of goals for the year one per team + goals in clubs across the continental competitions:
| Years | Player | Nation | Total | International goals | clubs Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin Jean-Pierre Papin Jean-Pierre Papin is a former French professional football player who was European Footballer of the Year in 1991.Papin achieved his greatest success while playing for Olympique Marseille between 1986 and 1992... |
16 | 7 | 9 | |
| 1992 | Dennis Bergkamp Dennis Bergkamp Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level... |
12 | 7 | 5 | |
| 1993 | Saeed Owairan Saeed Owairan Saeed Al-Owairan is a former Saudi Arabian international footballer. He played for the Saudi national team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA, in which he scored the goal that was later voted the 6th best in FIFA's Goal of the Century rankings... |
18 | 15 | 3 | |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov Hristo Stoichkov Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left... |
17 | 9 | 8 | |
| 1995 | Jurgen Klinsmann Jürgen Klinsmann Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that... |
17 | 6 | 11 | |
| 1996 | Ali Daei Ali Daei Ali Daei is an Iranian retired football player and former national team coach who currently manages a local Iranian team, Rah Ahan. He is a former captain of the Iran national football team, and is the world's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches... |
22 | 22 | 0 | |
| 1997 | Ronaldo Ronaldo Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the... |
22 | 17 | 5 | |
| 1998 | Jasem Al Huwaidi | 20 | 20 | 0 | |
| 1999 | Raul Raúl González Raúl González Blanco , known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for German club Schalke 04.... |
14 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2000 | Rivaldo Rivaldo Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he... |
21 | 8 | 13 | |
| 2001 | Hani Al-Dhabit | 22 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2002 | Ruud van Nistelrooy Ruud van Nistelrooy Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals... |
14 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2003 | Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
15 | 11 | 4 | |
| 2004 | Ali Daei Ali Daei Ali Daei is an Iranian retired football player and former national team coach who currently manages a local Iranian team, Rah Ahan. He is a former captain of the Iran national football team, and is the world's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches... |
17 | 17 | 0 | |
| 2005 | Adriano Adriano Adriano is the form of the Latin given name Hadrianus commonly used in the Italian and Portuguese languages; the form Adrian is used in the English language instead.-People with the given name Adriano:... |
18 | 10 | 8 | |
| 2006 | Humberto Suazo Humberto Suazo Humberto Andrés Suazo Pontivo , nicknamed Chupete, is a Chilean football player, who currently plays as a striker in Monterrey. In 2006 he was awarded by IFFHS as the world's top goal scorer of the year.... |
17 | 4 | 13 | |
| 2007 | Trésor Mputu Trésor Mputu Trésor Mputu is a Congolese football striker who has been described by former Cameroon and Congo coach Claude Le Roy as being "the next Samuel Eto'o", who he picked for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea as a 17 year-old.-Club career:Mputu helped his club reach the African Champions... |
20 | 1 | 19 | |
| 2008 | Leandson Dias da Silva Leandson Dias da Silva Leandson Dias da Silva, known as Rico, is a Brazilian footballer who is a striker for Manama.Rico began his professional career with São Paulo Futebol Clube, where he played on the same team as Brazil international and AC Milan midfielder Kaká. He also played for Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto-Alegrense... |
19 | 0 | 19 | |
| 2009 | Shinji Okazaki Shinji Okazaki Shinji Okazaki is a Japanese football player currently playing for VfB Stuttgart of the German Bundesliga.-Career:... |
15 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2010 | Bader Al Mutawa | 17 | 10 | 7 | |
| 2011 Top scorer in the world for 2011 The competition is still continuing until the end of 2011.- External links :*... |
Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010... |
17 | 4 | 13 | |
All-time appearances
| Rating | Player | Center | Nation | Total | Games national | Games clubs | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paolo Maldini Paolo Maldini Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club... |
Defender Defender Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li... |
Italy Italy national football team The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than... |
302 | 126 | 176 | 10 | 1985-2009 |
| 2 | Roberto Carlos | Defender Defender Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li... |
Brazil Brazil national football team The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the... |
296 | 125 | 171 | 32 | 1992- |
| 3 | Javier Zanetti Javier Zanetti Javier Adelmar Zanetti is an Argentine footballer who plays for Serie A club Inter. Javier Zanetti has played for Inter since 1995, taking the captain's armband from 29 August 1999. Known for his versatility, he is adept on both the left and right wing, having played on both flanks as a fullback... |
Defender Defender Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li... |
Argentina Argentina national football team The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro... |
293 | 145 | 148 | 11 | 1994- |
| 4 | Edwin van der Sar Edwin van der Sar Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history... |
Goalkeeper Goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, a goalkeeper is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by intercepting shots at goal... |
Netherlands Netherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... |
273 | 130 | 142 | 0 | 1992-2011 |
| 5 | Luis Figo Luís Figo Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009... |
Central | Portugal Portugal national football team The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento... |
269 | 127 | 142 | 60 | 1992-2009 |
| 6 | Cafu Cafu Marcos Evangelista de Moraes , better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-backs ever. He was given this nickname due to his speed up and down the right flank which was reminiscent of Cafuringa, a Brazilian forward from the 1970s... |
Defender Defender Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li... |
Brazil Brazil national football team The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the... |
265 | 142 | 123 | 11 | 1989-2008 |
| 7 | Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
Striker | France France national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
262 | 123 | 139 | 110 | 1995- |
| 8 | Raul Raúl González Raúl González Blanco , known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for German club Schalke 04.... |
Striker | Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
261 | 102 | 159 | 120 | 1995- |
All-time appearances
Only 16 players have made 240 or more appearances : Paolo MaldiniPaolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
, Roberto Carlos , Javier Zanetti
Javier Zanetti
Javier Adelmar Zanetti is an Argentine footballer who plays for Serie A club Inter. Javier Zanetti has played for Inter since 1995, taking the captain's armband from 29 August 1999. Known for his versatility, he is adept on both the left and right wing, having played on both flanks as a fullback...
, Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history...
, Luís Figo
Luís Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...
, Cafu
Cafu
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes , better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-backs ever. He was given this nickname due to his speed up and down the right flank which was reminiscent of Cafuringa, a Brazilian forward from the 1970s...
, Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
, Raúl
Raúl González
Raúl González Blanco , known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for German club Schalke 04....
, Iker Casillas
Íker Casillas
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
, Xavi
Xavi
Xavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career....
, Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team as a striker. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 2011-03-10, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with A.C...
, Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Herbert Matthäus , is a German football manager and former player.In 1990, he was named European Footballer of the Year and World Soccer Player of the Year after captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup...
, Frank de Boer
Frank de Boer
Franciscus "Frank" de Boer is a Dutch former professional footballer, and the younger twin brother of Ronald de Boer. Since 6 December 2010 he is the Manager of AFC Ajax.-Club career:...
, Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...
, Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram is a retired professional football defender and is the most capped player in the history of the France national team, and one of the twenty most capped players of all time.He played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both...
, Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI is a former Italian footballer considered one of the greatest defenders of all time and was given the name "Muro di Berlino" which means The Berlin wall by Italian supporters. He spent the majority of his career in Italy...
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See also
- List of association football players with 50 or more international goals
- Top international association football goal scorers by country
- Top scorers & Top appearances in UEFA club competitions
- List of association football players with 100 or more caps
- International Federation of Football History & StatisticsInternational Federation of Football History & StatisticsThe International Federation of Football History & Statistics is an organization that chronicles the history and records of Association football. It was founded on 27 March 1984 at Leipzig by Dr. Alfredo Pöge with the blessings of general secretary of the FIFA at the time, Dr. Helmut Käser...