Former Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid stars are among the footballers who’ve scored more than 700 career goals for club and country.

According to the RSSSF, a total of 15 players have scored more than 700 goals, although there is some debate over the accuracy of the historical data.

Counting only goals scored in official competitions, here are the 15 footballers with over 700 professional goals.

15. Sammy Hughes – 722 goals

The Northern Ireland forward played for Glentoran and enjoyed the peak years of his career in the 1950s.

In total, he’s estimated to have scored around 722 goals in 752 appearances, averaging 0.96 goals per game throughout his career.

14. Robert Lewandowski – 733 goals

Still going strong for Barcelona today, Lewandowski doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.

The 37-year-old has scored an impressive 105 goals in 154 games for Barcelona and now firmly has his sights set on reaching 800 goals before he retires.

13. Gerd Muller – 735 goals

Of his 735 goals, 76% of them were for Bayern Munich, where he enjoyed his peak years.

Muller is still Bayern’s all-time top goal scorer, with a whopping 565 goals for the club across all competitions.

With 68 goals at international level, he’s also the second-highest scoring player in Germany’s history, only behind Miroslav Klose, who broke his record in 2014.

12. Tommy Lawton – 749 goals

The England forward played professionally from 1936 to 1956 and scored 749 goals in 831 matches.

He enjoyed stints with the likes of Burnley, Chelsea, Arsenal and Notts County but scored the bulk of his goals for Everton in the 1940s.

11. Pele – 778 goals

Pele himself claimed to have scored over 1,200 goals, but that tally does include goals scored in friendly matches and exhibitions.

As per the RSSSF, around 778 of those goals were scored in official matches, which places him 11th on our list.

There’s no doubt that the Brazilian ranks among the greatest footballers of all time and with three World Cup medals to his name, he’s one of the most decorated players on this list.

10. Romario – 785 goals

Like with Pele, Romario has claimed to have scored over 1,000 goals, but that tally includes goals in non-official matches.

His official tally sits at 785 goals in 1003 matches, which is good enough to earn him a spot in the top 10.

9. Abe Lenstra – 790 goals

The Dutch forward enjoyed a professional career which spanned over 28 years from 1936 to 1964.

He scored the bulk of his goals for Heerenveen, who named their stadium after the forward in 1994, naming their ground the Abe Lenstra Stadium.

8. Ferenc Deak – 795 goals

The Hungarian forward scored six goals in his professional debut in 1940 and didn’t slow down from that point.

While his career total is disputed among different sources, the RSSSF have estimated that he scored 795 goals in just 515 matches, averaging 1.54 goals per game.

7. Ferenc Puskas – 802 goals

Widely recognized as one of the greatest strikers of all time, Puskas retired in 1967 with over 800 goals to his name.

After spending the first 13 years of his career with Budapest Honved, he moved to Real Madrid in 1958 and continued his prolific scoring streak.

“He was a special player in his day without question,” is how Sir Alex Ferguson described the Hungarian forward.

“How that Hungary team didn’t win the 1954 World Cup is beyond me.”

6. Jimmy Jones – 840 goals

The Northern Ireland forward spent his peak years playing for Glenavon and is estimated to have scored 840 goals in 760 appearances between 1943 and 1965.

5. Lionel Messi – 884 goals

Now closing in on 900 goals, Messi’s inclusion in the top five won’t come as much of a surprise.

Along with scoring 884 goals, the 37-year-old has also produced 392 assists, which is more than any other player on this list.

During 2025, he’s been averaging a goal every 101 minutes and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2025

4. Ronnie Rooke – 934 goals

Rooke’s professional career spanned for over 32 years and he played for the likes of Fulham, Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

He enjoyed his peak years playing for Fulham and scored a remarkable 212 goals in 199 wartime matches, whilst simultaneously serving for the RAF.

As per the RSSSF, he scored 934 goals during his career.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo – 946 goals

It’s no secret that Ronaldo has made it his mission to become the first player to score 1,000 official goals.

As of writing, he’s only 54 strikes away from achieving that tally and becoming the outright highest-scoring player in history.

“For me it’s the best mark that I can have in football, to reach, first 900 goals. After, my challenge is 1,000 goals,” CR7 said during an interview last year.

“All the goals that I score, they have video. So I can prove that it’s [real] … But if I don’t have injuries, I want that [goal tally].”

Since joining Al-Nassr, he’s averaged a goal every 98 minutes, meaning that it’ll likely take him another 59 matches before he reaches the 1,000 milestone.

2. Josef Bican – 950 goals

Bican’s career total is disputed, with some sources claiming he only scored 805 goals, while others have credited him with over 1,000.

Using the stats provided by the RSSSF, they claim his official tally sits at 950 goals in 624 appearances, meaning he averaged 1.52 goals per game throughout his career.

If his tally of 950 goals is to be believed, CR7 is set to overtake him in the coming weeks as he’s now just four goals shy of his tally.

1. Erwin Helmchen – 989 goals

As per the RSSSF, Helmchen is the highest-scoring player in football history with 989 goals in just 582 matches.

He also holds the record for the most hat-tricks in football history, with at least 142 according to the RSSSF.

While Helmchen is recognized as the top scorer on this list, it does have to be said that the bulk of his goals were scored in the German lower divisions. (Planet Football)