After scoring five goals against Estonia in a friendly international match, Lionel Messi has now surpassed Estonia to claim second position on the list of the greatest goal scorers.
The Argentinian player moved beyond Pele, who was his arch-enemy and managed to score 762 goals over a distinguished career.
The only other active players on the top 20 list of the greatest goal scorers are Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robert Lewandowski, Luis Suarez, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
After scoring five goals against Estonia in a friendly match, Lionel Messi has risen to second place on the list of all-time leading goal scorers.
The Argentinian player overtook Pele, who scored 762 goals during his illustrious career, to overtake his adversary.
The only other active players on the top 20 list of all-time leading goal scorers are Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, Luis Suarez, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
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With the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo, the two South Americans have scored the most goals. The Portuguese forward, who now has 813 goals, was in excellent form in the UEFA Nations League. Ronaldo has had success while playing for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United twice, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
With 450 goals overall for Real Madrid and 117 goals internationally, he holds the record for most goals scored in a single season. We examine the other notable names that rank among the top 10 in addition to Messi, Ronaldo, and Pele.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) -813 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 764 goals
3. Pele (Brazil) – 762 goals
4. Romario (Brazil) – 755 goals
5. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary) – 729 goals
6. Josef Bican (Austria) – 720 goals
7. Jimmy Jones (Northern Ireland) – 647 goals
8. Gerd Muller (Germany) – 634 goals
9. Eusebio (Portugal) – 619 goals
10. Joe Bambrick (Northern Ireland) – 616 goals
Along with Messi and Ronaldo, the only active players to make the top 23 are Luis Suarez, a free agent after being released by Atletico Madrid, Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich, and the widely-traveled Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Serie A champions AC Milan.
SOURCE: Sportsbrief.com
