The highest scorers in the history of Europe’s top leagues | OneFootball

Robert Lewandowski continues to age like a fine wine with the veteran La Liga’s leading scorer so far this season.

The prolific Pole has continued to show his younger contemporaries how it’s done, firing home 20 goals in 24 league appearances for Barcelona this season. His astonishing achievements continue a climb up the all-time rankings for one of the game’s greatest-ever goalscorers.

We’ve ranked the top 10 scorers in the history of Europe’s top five leagues.

The highest scorers in the history of Europe’s top leagues

10. Gordon Hodgson – 288 goals

Gordon Hodgson scored 288 top-flight league goals in English football, with the bulk of his career spent with Liverpool. Only Roger Hunt has ever scored more league goals for Liverpool than Hodgson, who hit 233 for the Reds between 1925 and 1936.

He later had spells with Aston Villa and Leeds and also represented Lancashire in Cricket. A man of many talents.

9. Delio Onnis – 299 goals

Delio Onnis is the highest scorer in the history of Ligue 1.

The Italian-born Argentine was French football’s top scorer on five occasions, though was remarkably never called up for the Argentina national team, who favoured domestic-based players.

8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 302 goals

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s career reads like a roll call of European football royalty.

The Swedish superstar represented Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United during a decorated career across Europe’s top five leagues. He’s one of just four players to have surpassed 300 goals in those leagues since the turn of the century.

7. Dixie Dean – 310 goals

Dixie Dean remains regarded as one of the greatest centre-forwards English football has seen, with a record unlikely to be eclipsed. Dean holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season in top-flight English football, with 60 scored for Everton in 1927/28.

That’s 24 goals MORE than Erling Haaland managed in his record-breaking 2022/23 Premier League season. Astonishing.

6. Steve Bloomer – 314 goals

One of English football’s first feared forwards. Steve Bloomer netted 314 top-flight goals during spells at Derby County and Middlesbrough. A bust of Bloomer now sits outside Derby’s Pride Park home, in tribute to the club’s record scorer. He also scored 28 goals in 23 appearances for England.

5. Jimmy Greaves – 357 goals

Jimmy Greaves is the leading scorer in the history of English football’s top flight. He holds the record for the most seasons as the leading scorer of England’s top division (6) and netted 44 times in 57 caps for England, with who he won the 1966 World Cup.

At club level, his honours included two FA Cup triumphs and a European Cup Winners’ Cup with Tottenham, alongside a Serie A title during a short-lived spell at AC Milan.

4. Gerd Muller – 365 goals

Gerd Muller’s achievements – and goal record – stack up with any forward the game has seen.

Der Bomber is the Bundesliga’s record scorer, having netted 365 goals in 427 league appearances for Bayern Munich. A crucial part of all-conquering sides for club and country in the 1960s and 70s, his honours included five Bundesliga titles, three European Cups, a European Championship and a World Cup.

He is one of nine players to have won the World Cup, the European Cup/Champions League and the Ballon d’Or. At international level, he bettered a goal-per-game with West Germany, netting 68 goals in 62 caps.

3. Robert Lewandowski – 374* goals

Robert Lewandowski has climbed up to third following another phenomenal season in a top-five European league. The Poland international announced his arrival at Borussia Dortmund before a move to Bayern Munich elevated him further into the elite.

Lewandowski scored 238 league goals in 253 appearances for Bayern, while he holds the joint record for most seasons as the Bundesliga’s top scorer, with seven. In 2020/21, he shattered the Bundesliga’s single-season goal record after netting 41 times in just 29 games.

A move to Spain in 2022 has done little to slow his returns. He’s netted 62 league goals across two-and-a-half seasons with Barcelona and is chasing a second Pichichi Trophy in 2024/25. If successful, he’ll surpass Lionel Messi for the most seasons as top scorer in a top-five European League (9).

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – 495 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo sits second having netted 495 goals in Europe’s top five leagues.

Ronaldo is the only player to reach 100+ goals in England, Spain and Italy, having claimed top-scorer accolades in each nation. Real Madrid’s record scorer, he netted 450 goals in 438 games for the Spaniards across all competitions.

Ronaldo is also the record scorer in the history of the Champions League, European Championship and men’s international football.

1. Lionel Messi – 496 goals

Lionel Messi leads the way with just ONE goal more than his eternal rival.

Messi scored 496 top-flight goals in Europe, a return that helped the Argentine to a record-breaking six European Golden Shoes. He also holds the records for the most goals for a single club (672 for Barcelona), the most goals (474) and assists (192) in La Liga history, and the most goals scored in a calendar year (91).

A record eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, he’s arguably the greatest talent the game has seen.

Read – Iconic Performances: Messi lights up El Clasico with his first ever hat-trick

See more – Five of Cristiano Ronaldo’s greatest goals

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