List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals

In total, 87 male footballers to date have scored at least 50 goals with their national team at senior level, according to FIFA documents, RSSSF and IFFHS statistics. Since October 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also been publishing a list, but only of the top 10. Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal holds the all-time record with 146 international goals.

Brazil, Hungary, Iran and Kuwait hold the record of having the most players to have scored 50 or more international goals with four each. England, France, Iraq, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand each have three players who have achieved the feat. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has the highest number of footballers who scored at least 50 international goals, with 35 players. Egypt is the only African team with more than one player who has scored at least 50 international goals, after Mohamed Salah achieved the feat on 24 March 2023.

Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait has played the most matches so far to score 50 international goals. He scored his 50th goal during his 155th international appearance, in a hat-trick against Myanmar on 3 September 2015, in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match.

History

The first player to score 50 international goals was Imre Schlosser of Hungary. He achieved the feat when he scored a brace (two goals) in a 6–2 victory against Austria on 3 June 1917. In total, he scored 59 international goals in 68 matches, playing his last match on 10 April 1927. He remained the highest international goalscorer for 26 years, until his fellow countryman Ferenc Puskás broke the record in 1953. Puskás was the third player, after Poul Nielsen of Denmark, to achieve 50 goals in his international career. Nielsen achieved this feat on his 36th cap against Sweden in the 1924–28 Nordic Football Championship on 14 June 1925 and scored 52 goals in just 38 matches in his international career. Puskás netted his 50th goal on 24 July 1952, when he scored a brace in the semi-final match against Turkey at the 1952 Summer Olympics. However, Vivian Woodward scored 75 goals in 53 matches considered official internationals by the opposing sides, which would make him the first footballer to score 50 or more international goals, ahead of Imre Schlosser, and was the fastest to achieve the feat, scoring his 50th goal in his 32nd official international match, with a four-goal haul against Hungary on 31 May 1909.

Puskás overall scored 84 goals in his international career, and remained the highest international goalscorer for 24 years following his 84th goal in 1956 against Austria, until Mokhtar Dahari of Malaysia broke the record in the Merdeka Tournament after scoring his 85th goal on 27 October 1980 against Kuwait; he went on to score 89 goals for his country in 142 international appearances. In 2004, Ali Daei of Iran broke the record after scoring his 90th goal against Lebanon.

Daei also became the first player to score over 100 goals in international football, ending his career with 108 in total. His 100th goal came on 17 November 2004, when he scored a four-goal haul against Laos in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification match. However, the first player from Asia to reach 50 international goals was Malaya's Abdul Ghani Minhat. Furthermore, he was also the first player from outside Europe to achieve it. He achieved the feat on 15 December 1961 against Thailand and he went on to score 58 goals in 57 international appearances for his country which is 1.02 per match, making him one of the most prolific players in the world. Just two years after Puskás' scored his 50th goal, his teammate Sándor Kocsis did the same on 19 September 1954, in a friendly match against Romania. He became both the fourth player and the fourth European to achieve the feat. He went on to score a total of 75 goals in 65 matches in international football. Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal was the second player to score 100 international goals, as well as the first European to achieve the feat. He reached the milestone after scoring a brace against Sweden in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League on 8 September 2020. Lionel Messi of Argentina became the third player to reach and pass the milestone in a friendly match against Curaçao on 28 March 2023, as well as the first South American to achieve the feat.

Pelé of Brazil was the first player from South America to score at least 50 international goals. He attained this in a friendly match against the Soviet Union on 21 November 1965, and went on to score 77 international goals in 92 matches. Malawi's Kinnah Phiri was the first player from Africa to score 50 international goals. Whilst it was originally believed that Phiri was also the youngest player to do so (having scored his 50th goal in a friendly match against Sierra Leone on 6 July 1978, aged 23 years, 8 months and 6 days), FIFA acknowledged in 2021 that the record actually belonged to Mokhtar Dahari, who was 22 years, 8 months and 30 days when he scored his 50th goal for Malaysia against India on 12 August 1976. Stern John of Trinidad and Tobago was the first player from North America to score 50 international goals. He scored 70 goals in 115 matches, with his 50th goal coming in a friendly match against the Dominican Republic on 13 June 2004.

By player

Players in bold are still active at international level.

Indicates the top scorer of the respective confederation. Indicates the top scorer of the respective nation.

RankPlayerNationConfederationGoalsCapsGoalsper matchCareer spanDate of 50th goal 1UEFA146 234 2003– 26 June 2014 2CONMEBOL126 208 2005–2026 29 March 2016 3AFC108 148 9 January 2000 4AFC95 157 2005–2025 31 December 2015 5UEFA94 135 2010– 10 October 2019 6UEFA92 170 2008– 5 October 2017 7UEFA91 125 2015– 7 June 2022 8AFC89 142 1972–1985 22 August 1976 9AFC85 115 2009–2024 31 August 2019 10UEFA84 89 1945–1962 24 July 1952 11CONMEBOL80 130 2010–2026 11 November 2016 12CAF79 111 1968–1980 7 November 1978 13AFC78 137 1977–1990 17 March 1984 14CONMEBOL77 92 1957–1971 4 July 1965 15 England amateursUEFA 75 53 1903–1914 31 May 1909 UEFA75 68 1948–1956 19 September 1954 AFC75 76 1964–1977 18 July 1972 AFC75 134 1996–2007 25 December 2002 19UEFA73 152 2007–2026 28 March 2017 20AFC72 117 1977–1994 15 April 1984 21CAF 71 117 1973–1981 6 July 1978 AFC71 134 1993–2007 23 January 2001 UEFA71 137 2001–2014 27 June 2010 24AFC70 100 1981–1997 30 January 1989 AFC70 111 1967–1979 8 August 1972 CONCACAF 70 115 1995–2012 13 June 2004 27CONMEBOL69 143 2007–2024 23 March 2018 CAF69 177 1985–2006 25 February 1998 More goals than caps (FIFA.com) 29UEFA68 62 1966–1974 18 June 1972 CAF68 122 2011– 24 March 2023 CONCACAF68 133 1998–2016 15 August 2012 UEFA68 146 1998–2016 4 June 2011 33UEFA67 107 2017– 8 June 2025 34UEFA65 59 2019– 11 October 2025 CAF65 105 2002–2014 13 January 2012 36UEFA64 106 2013– 27 September 2022 AFC64 130 2007– 14 December 2021 38AFC63 83 1992–2003 30 September 2000 39CONMEBOL62 98 1994–2011 19 November 2003 AFC62 121 1982–1997 18 August 1992 UEFA62 122 2001–2023 4 September 2014 42 AFC61 71 1956–1966 15 December 1961 AFC61 132 2013– 31 December 2023 44AFC60 111 2015– 6 June 2024 AFC60 135 2009– 5 September 2024 46UEFA59 68 1906–1927 3 June 1917 UEFA59 98 2005–2017 11 October 2011 AFC59 153 2010– 14 November 2024 49AFC58 101 2003– 29 March 2016 AFC58 136 1972–1986 5 September 1977 CONMEBOL58 136 2008–2022 18 November 2019 52AFC57 93 2014– 14 January 2024 CONCACAF57 101 1993–2010 28 March 2009 UEFA 57 137 2011–2024 22 November 2022 CONCACAF57 141 2004–2018 7 June 2016 AFC57 148 2002–2016 5 March 2014 CONCACAF57 157 2000–2014 5 July 2013 58CONMEBOL56 78 1991–2002 29 June 2000 CAF56 118 1997–2014 3 September 2011 AFC56 202 2003–2022 3 September 2015 61CONMEBOL55 70 1987–2005 8 October 2000 AFC55 89 1990–2000 7 September 1997 UEFA55 91 1999–2009 8 September 2007 AFC55 97 1968–1980 19 November 1977 AFC55 101 1979–1997 16 December 1995 UEFA55 102 1969–1984 26 July 1983 UEFA55 112 2013– 10 June 2025 CAF55 132 2012– 18 November 2025 69UEFA53 120 2003–2018 8 September 2015 70UEFA52 38 1910–1925 14 June 1925 AFC52 108 2006–2019 22 March 2018 CONCACAF52 109 2009–2019 23 June 2018 UEFA52 112 1997–2010 21 November 2007 AFC52 161 1983–1997 19 November 1996 75UEFA51 72 1955–1971 25 April 1964 AFC51 83 2004–2016 20 November 2016 CAF51 109 2003–2019 11 June 2017 UEFA51 112 1992–2007 11 October 2006 UEFA51 123 1997–2010 9 September 2009 CONMEBOL51 168 2006– 27 September 2022 81AFC50 87 1993–2010 9 January 2009 UEFA50 102 2005–2017 13 October 2015 AFC50 103 1988–2002 4 June 2002 AFC / OFC50 108 2004–2018 10 October 2017 AFC50 119 2008–2019 28 March 2017 CONMEBOL50 122 2008– 27 March 2026 AFC50 129 1980–1997 31 March 1997

By nationality

As of 7 October 2026 (UTC)

*NB: The term "nationality" in this section refers to the nation(s) the player represented (the national team(s) he played for), not to the nationality-ies and/or citizenship(s) he holds.

PlayersCountryConfederation 4 CONMEBOL UEFA AFC AFC 3 England amateurs UEFA UEFA AFC AFC AFC AFC AFC 2 CONMEBOL UEFA CAF UEFA AFC UEFA AFC CONCACAF CONMEBOL 1 AFC / OFC UEFA UEFA CAF CONMEBOL UEFA UEFA CAF CONCACAF CONCACAF AFC CAF CAF AFC CONCACAF UEFA AFC UEFA UEFA AFC UEFA AFC CAF UEFA AFC UEFA UEFA CONCACAF UEFA CONMEBOL AFC CAF 87 52 5

By confederation

As of 7 October 2026 (UTC)

ConfederationCountriesPlayers AFC 17 35 UEFA 18 28 CONMEBOL 5 10 CAF 7 8 CONCACAF 5 6 OFC 0 0 Total 52 87

No OFC player has scored 50 goals in full internationals. The current record holder is Fiji player Roy Krishna with 47 goals in 68 matches.Roy Krishna - Goals in International Matches RSSSF

Footnotes

List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals

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