Ronaldo and Messi lead trend as top scorers play outside Europe | OneFootball

Europe remains football’s sharpest stage, yet none of the active leaders on the sport’s all-time scoring charts are playing there. Ronaldo and Messi embody a late-career shift to Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Sport reports that Europe’s leagues remain the game’s centre, a status reinforced by the Bosman ruling on 15 December 1995. Clubs in the major competitions have since dominated the market for star talent.

Even so, none of the current top five scorers in football history are based in Europe. Cristiano Ronaldo leads the list, having surpassed Josef Bican to become the top scorer in official matches.

He is targeting 1,000 goals, his tally at 976 after a World Cup penalty against Croatia. Since January 2022 he has played in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr.

Lionel Messi is second on 921, his latest two coming against Atletico San Luis in the League Cup. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner joined Inter Miami in MLS in 2023.

Robert Lewandowski sits seventh overall and third among active players with 721. Having left Barcelona recently, the Polish striker has already scored for Chicago Fire in MLS.

Next is Messi’s Inter Miami team-mate Luis Suarez on 610, fourteenth overall and fourth among active players. His haul crowns a career spanning more than 20 years.

Karim Benzema completes the current top five, playing in Saudi Arabia since summer 2023 and now with Al-Hilal. He has 523 goals in 993 matches, one ahead of Harry Kane, the top name still in Europe under Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”