Cristiano Ronaldo & the top 35 men's international goalscorers of all-time

Undoubtedly one of the best players of his generation, Cristiano Ronaldo has rewritten the history books on a regular basis during his career and he is, by some distance, Portugal's top scorer of all-time. He broke Ali Daei's record of 109 goals in September 2021 with a brace against the Republic of Ireland.

The record for most international goals in men's football belonged to Ali Daei for a long time, as he found the target on 109 occasions for Iran in 148 appearances between 1993 and 2006. The striker's career saw him line up for the likes of Bayern Munich, but he enjoyed much of his success on an international stage.

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi has won two trophies on the international stage with Argentina - the Copa America and Finalissima - and is the country's record goalscorer, having overtaken Gabriel Batistuta in 2016.

Playing between 1972 and 1985, Mokhtar Dahari is considered to be one of the most legendary strikers in Malaysian football history.

Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskas was one of Hungary's 'Magical Magyars' during the 1950s and his exploits for his country have cemented his standing as an icon in Budapest and beyond. Puskas scored 84 goals in 85 games for Hungary and subsequently played for Spain in the early 1960s. However, his Spanish experience impacted his goals-to-games ratio as he failed to score in four appearances for La Roja.

Sunil Chhetri is India's all-time top goalscorer and also holds the record for most national team appearances.

Al Jazira legend Ali Mabkout is a clinical finisher and as well as being one of his club's best scorers, he is also the United Arab Emirates' top international scorer of all time.

Godfrey Chitalu is the most prolific African international footballer of all time, having struck 79 goals in 108 games for Zambia. The Kabwe Warriors star transitioned into coaching after hanging up his boots, but met a tragic end along with the rest of the Zambia team in the 1993 Zambian air disaster.

With 78 goals, Hussein Saeed is Iraq's top goalscorer of all time and he reached that figure in 137 games for his country. Saeed spent his entire career with Al-Talaba and played at the 1986 World Cup as well as three Olympic Games (1980, 1984 and 1988).

One of the greatest strikers of his generation, Robert Lewandowski thrust himself into the conversation with goals for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, which he replicated on the international stage with Poland. He is now plying his club trade at La Liga giants Barcelona.

Widely considered to one of the best footballers to ever play the game, Pele has an impressive haul of 77 goals in 92 appearances for Brazil. He played at four World Cups, winning three, and remains the Selecao's top scorer to this day.

For a long time, it was unimaginable that anybody would get near to Pele’s all-time record for Brazil – with the likes of Ronaldo and Romario having failed top top a legend of the game. Neymar, though, is raising the bar for a modern generation, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward proving to a be a talismanic presence for his country.

While Ferenc Puskas may have been the talisman for Hungary during the 1950s, Sandor Kocsis was their chief goalscorer. The former Barcelona man hit an amazing 75 goals in 68 games for the Magyars in an international career that spanned just eight years.

One-club man Kunishige Kamamoto was one of the best strikers in Japanese football and, with 75 goals in 76 appearances for his country, one of the most prolific international scorers of all time. Kamamoto played for Samurai Blue from 1964 to 1977 and his best year was 1972, when he scored 15 in eight games.

Bashar Abdullah emerged as one of Kuwait's key players during the late 1990s and early 2000s, writing his name into the record books by scoring a record 75 goals for his country. He featured at three Asian Cups for Kuwait and even played at the 2000 Olympics.

Saudi Arabia's top scorer of all time is Majed Abdullah, who hit 71 goals in 116 caps for his country during the course of a remarkable 17-year international career. A one-club man with Al Nassr, Abdullah captained his country to the 1994 World Cup.

Having underperformed for far too long, Belgium burst onto the global scene once a ‘Golden Generation’ began to break through. Romelu Lukaku has often led the charge as a powerful No.9, with a man that has represented Chelsea, Everton, Manchester United and Inter at club level forging a reputation as one of the very best in the business.

Kinnah Phiri scored a record 71 goals for Malawi during his playing career, reaching that total in 117 appearances - which is also a record - for the Flames. 

The greatest striker in Thailand's history, Kiatisuk Senamuang holds the record for both goals scored and appearances with 71 goals in 134 games. Senamuang brought the curtain down on his playing career in 2007 and later moved into management, steering the fortunes of his country from 2014 to 2017.

Miroslav Klose will go down in history as Germany's top goalscorer of all time, surpassing Gerd Muller, with 71 goals during his international career. The former Bayern Munich star helped Die Mannschaft to a World Cup title in 2014 and also holds the record for most World Cup goals.

Just a goal behind compatriot Kiatisuk Senamuang, Piyapong Pue-on's 70 goals make him one of the best goalscorers in the history of international football. Pue-on spent the majority of his playing career with the Royal Thai Air Force and replicated his club form for his country over the course of 16 years.

The top scorer of any CONCACAF nation in history, Stern John's 70 goals for Trinidad & Tobago see him rubbing shoulders with some of the world's best players. John spent the bulk of his career playing in England and spent a number of seasons in the Premier League with Birmingham City and later Sunderland. He competed at the 2006 World Cup with his country but failed to register a goal at the tournament.

A tricky winger with a keen eye for goal, Abdul Kadir starred for the Indonesian national side during the 1960s and 70s. After hanging up his boots, a legendary figure went on to take in a brief spell as manager of his country’s national team.

Luis Suarez has not always made headline for all of the right reasons, but there has never been any doubting his ability in the final third of the field. The former Liverpool and Barcelona frontman has taken in well over 100 appearances for Uruguay and often been the man to deliver in times of need.

Widely regarded as one of the best centre-forwards of all time, Gerd Muller's international goal tally of 68 is made all the more impressive by the fact that he achieved that number in just 62 games. Known as 'Der Bomber', the former Bayern Munich star was a key player for West Germany, hitting 10 goals as they finished third at the 1970 World Cup and scoring four as they won the 1974 World Cup.

Carlos Ruiz is perhaps best remembered for his goalscoring exploits in Major League Soccer, where he shone for the likes of LA Galaxy and FC Dallas, but he is also undoubtedly one of Guatemala's best-ever players. Ruiz retired in 2016, but hung up his boots having set the national record for both goals scored (68) and appearances (133).

Former Liverpool, Tottenham and Inter striker Robbie Keane will go down in history as one of the best players to hail from the Republic of Ireland. Keane holds the Irish record for both goals scored (68) and caps (146), and he competed at three major tournaments with the Boys in Green, including the 2002 World Cup.

Egypt's Hossam Hassan's international career spanned two decades and he amassed plenty of goals during that period. The striker played at the 1990 World Cup and competed in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, bringing the curtain down on his time with the national team after winning the latter in 2006.

A Champions League and Premier League title winner with Chelsea, Didier Drogba was one of the most difficult strikers on the planet to contain when operating at the peak of his powers. Nobody has scored more goals for the Ivory Coast than a national hero.

Jasem Al-Huwaidi won two Gulf Cups with his country and turned out at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. A stunning strike rate at international level shows that he very much knew the way to goal.

Combining both aerial strength and quick feet, Edin Dzeko could be considered the complete package. He has shown as much across a distinguished club career that has taken him to places such as Manchester City and Italy, while he can always be relied upon to deliver for his country.

Before CR7, there was R9. Anybody with the nickname ‘O Fenomeno’ must have a bit of something about them, and Ronaldo took the global game by storm in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He could have achieved even more were it not for a string of unfortunate injuries.

The most mercurial of talents, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still going strong after passing his 40th birthday. The enigmatic Swede has won league titles and domestic cups all over the world and has always been happy to accept a call from his country.

Ahmed Radhi helped to fire Iraq to their first World Cup finals in 1986, before making history as their first goalscorer at that event. He also represented his country at the 1988 Olympic Games – a year in which he was named Asian Player of the Year.

Minhat was a star of the 1950s and 60s, turning out for Malaya before then representing Malaysia. He ticked over at a little under one goal every game, which is quite some achievement on any international stage.