Back
Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to a glittering 23-year career with Portugal. The 41-year-old forward bows out as the undisputed king of international goalscoring, having found the net 146 times in 234 appearances, both men’s world records. His farewell comes just days after he extended his lead at the top of the all-time list.
Ronaldo finishes 20 goals clear of his great rival Lionel Messi, who sits second with 126 goals in 208 caps for Argentina. Iran’s Ali Daei, whose record Ronaldo surpassed in September 2021, remains third with 108 goals.
Rounding out the top five are Indian great Sunil Chhetri, who is fourth in the list with 95 goals, followed by Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (94 goals).
Here is the full list of the most international goals in men’s football:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 146 goals in 234 appearances
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 126 goals in 208 appearances
3. Ali Daei (Iran) – 108 goals in 148 appearances
4. Sunil Chhetri (India) – 95 goals in 157 appearances
5. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) – 94 goals in 135 appearances
6. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) – 92 goals in 170 appearances
7. Harry Kane (England) – 91 goals in 125 appearances
8. Mokhtar Dahari (Malaysia) – 89 goals in 142 appearances
9. Ali Mabkhout (UAE) – 85 goals in 115 appearances
10. Ferenc Puskás (Hungary/Spain) – 84 goals in 89 appearances
11. Neymar (Brazil) – 80 goals in 130 appearances
12. Godfrey Chitalu (Zambia) – 79 goals in 111 appearances
13. Hussein Saeed (Iraq) – 78 goals in 137 appearances
14. Pelé (Brazil) – 77 goals in 92 appearances
15. Vivian Woodward (England) – 75 goals in 53 appearances
16. Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) – 75 goals in 68 appearances
17. Kunishige Kamamoto (Japan) – 75 goals in 76 appearances
18. Bashar Abdullah (Kuwait) – 75 goals in 134 appearances
19. Edin Džeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – 73 goals in 152 appearances
20. Majed Abdullah (Saudi Arabia) – 72 goals in 117 appearances
21. Kinnah Phiri (Malawi) – 71 goals in 117 appearances
22. Kiatisuk Senamuang (Thailand) – 71 goals in 134 appearances
23. Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 71 goals in 137 appearances
24. Piyapong Pue-on (Thailand) – 70 goals in 100 appearances
25. Abdul Kadir (Indonesia) – 70 goals in 111 appearances
26. Stern John (Trinidad and Tobago) – 70 goals in 115 appearances
Back
Top
| Privacy Statement Terms of Service Contact |
Refresh
|
All the best breaking news stories from Apex Football Lite. Optimised for feature phones and low end Android devices, Apex Football Lite helps users with legacy devices and poor network connectivity access the latest football news and live scores. Particularly relevant for breaking football news in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.