While many football lovers concentrate more on club football, there are a handful of football players who have done, and are still doing superb things for their own countries.

In this article, we will highlight the highest goal scorer in international football history.

Top 10 Players With Most Goals In International Football

 Rank No.  Player Name  Goals/Caps  Country
 1.  Ali Daei  109/149  Iran
 2.  Cristiano Ronaldo  85/152  Portugal
 3.  Ferenc Puskas  84/85  Hungary
 4.  Kunishige Kamamoto  80/84  Japan
 5.  Godfrey Chitalu  79/108  Zambia
 6.  Hussein Saeed  78/137  Iraq
 7.  Pele  77/192  Brazil
 8.  Bashar Abdullah  75/133  Kuwait
 9.  Sandor Kocsis  75/68  Hungary
 10.  Kinnah Phiri  71/115  Malawi

Top 10 Highest Goal Scorer In Football International Matches

  •  Ali Daei, Iran (149 Caps, 109 Goals)

At the top of the list is Iranian star player Ali Daei. Although he is no longer active on the scene, no one has been able to beat the record he had set – at least, for the main time.

The prolific international goalscorer scored 109 times between 1993 and 2006 in 149 international games. However, due to different factors, he wasn’t able to shine appropriately when his side clashed with big sides – particularly in the 1998 and 2006 World Cup finals.

Nevertheless, Ali played a crucial role in his country’s first win in the World Cup – the match against the United States of America in 1998.

So, 109 is the current highest number of goals in international football

  •  Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal (152 Caps, 85 Goals)

Everyone knows the Portuguese star is a superb player. Well, Ronaldo is not just the king of the Champions League, but he is also doing great things for his country, making proud his countrymen.

The Juventus superstar was impressive while representing his country in the last World Cup finals in Russia. We haven’t forgotten his stunning hat-trick against Spain in the opening game of the competition. Considering that he is still active and still displaying his skills on the pitch, we shouldn’t be surprised seeing him on the number 1 spot anytime soon. One impressive thing about the former Real Madrid star is that he is performing well both for his club (s) and his country – unlike some other players who are only good at their clubs, and vice versa.

Cristiano remains the top active international goal scorer currently playing

  •  Ferenc Puskas, Hungary (85 Caps, 84 Goals)

He is one of the best football players Hungary has ever produced. Between 1945 and 1956, Puska, in 85 games for his country, scored 84 times.

When Hungary thrashed Albania 12-0, he scored four goals in that game and he helped his side picked the gold trophy at the 1952 Olympics. Although Hungary is currently nowhere to be found in international football, there was a time they were quite superb. The following year after they won the gold trophy in the Olympics, they won England 6-3 and 7-1 – FERENC scored two goals in both matches.

  •  Kunishige Kamamoto, Japan (84 Caps, 80 Goals)

Although Japan is now breeding some superb football players, history won’t forget the likes of Kunishige  Kamamoto. He was their first football star who made them proud during his playing days.

In 80 international games, he scored 84 times and he helped them won some important games too. The Asian star achieved his feat between 1964 and 1977.

Kamamoto won the Golden Boot at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. He scored thrice against African giants Nigeria, and he also scored a brace when his side clashed with France in the quarter-finals.

  •  Godfrey Chitalu, Zambia (108 Caps, 79 Goals)

In 2012, Lionel Messi was applauded to have become the player who scored the highest number of goals in a calendar year. Interestingly, Zambian FA came up to claim that a Zambian -Godfrey Chitalu – actually scored 107 goals in 1972.

The African, in 108 games, scored 79 times for his country between 1968 and 1980. He was impressive at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow where he scored some impressive goals in front of the world.

  •  Hussein Saeed, Iraq (137 Caps, 78 Goals)

He is one of the best football players that ever came out of Iraq. During his active years on the pitch, Saeed scored a lot of impressive goals for his country and he became one of the players with the highest international goals.

Saeed played for only one club – Al-Talaba – before he retired, and he was a star in his own generation. He played a vital role in Iraq’s success at the 1984 Gulf Cup of Nations – where he scored a hat-trick against Saudi Arabia.

  •  Pele, Brazil (92 Caps, 77 Goals)

Pele remains a respected figure not only in Brazil but in world football generally. He was Brazil’s hero during his playing days, and he scored a lot of goals for them.

In 92 official games for the South American giants, the talented superstar scored 77 goals. In fact, if we should add the goals he scored in unofficial goals played by Brazil, Pele should be the second on this list.

He represented his country as a teenager in the 1958 World Cup, where he scored three goals against France and a brace against Sweden.

  •  Bashar Abdullah, Kuwait (133 Caps, 75 Goals)

Yes, today, Kuwait can’t be found in international football – due to various reasons quite alright. However, there was a time when this country was on fire as far as football is concerned, and they have talented superstars like Abdullah.

He played 133 international games between 1996 and 2007 and he scored 75 times for his side. Then, his country was able to win two Gulf Cups impressively and they ruled their part of the world in football 

When his side thrashed Bhutan 20-0 in 2000, the talented player scored eight goals.

  •  Sandor Kocsis, Hungary (68 Caps, 75 Goals)

Just as stated earlier, Hungary used to be a very tough side as far as football is concerned. The side used to be deadly, and countries are usually worried about playing with teams like that when they clash in official games.

The side has superb strikers that kept terrorizing defenders of the opposite team. Apart from having a superb star-like Ferenc Puskas, there is another goal monster known as Sandor Kocsis.

So, even if the defense of the opponent successfully tamed Puskas in a game, there is Sandor there to torment them. He is one of the most prolific goalscorers in the world, and the record is there  

He sits on the ninth spot of the list of players with the most international goals, with 75 goals, same with Abdullah of Kuwait. He played together with the legendary Puskas, who scored more goals than he did. However, checking the stats, we discovered that Sandor fared better than his compatriot in regards to the goals-to-game ratio.

He was able to score 75 times in 68 games for his country. His feat placed him in the league of the best players of all times as far as international football is concerned.

Before he hanged his boots, Sandro scored seven hat-tricks for his country and helped his side crushed West Germany in the 1954 World Cup. In that popular game, where Hungary won 8-3, the talented star scored four times. His total goal in the 1954 World Cup alone was a whopping 11 goals from five matches. That is quite superb.

  • 10. Kinnah Phiri, Malawi (115 Caps, 71 Goals)

Although things were initially not straightforward as far as this player is concerned, some reliable guys have helped in setting it straight. It was made known that the talented African played 115 games for Malawi, and he was able to score 71 times in the process.

Amazingly, Kinnah’s international career was not even up to nine years before he left the international setting, but his achievements remain, and he is widely regarded as the tenth player with the most international goals in history.

In 1977, the talented forward scored all 5 goals as his country thrashed Botswana 5-1in a friendly game. Kinnah, who at a time also managed his country’s national team, also helped his country to take home the East and Central Africa Challenge (CECAFA) Cup in 1978. Obviously, he is one of the most popular players Africa has produced.

Finally On The Highest Goal Scorer In International Football History

So, there we go, the top ten players with most goals in international football. Of course, the list won’t be stagnant, because there are players who are still active in international football and are still doing well for their sides. One of the players many expects to break into the list before his retirement is Barcelona’s, Lionel Messi. The Argentine star has successfully set various records with his club (that will be very difficult to break by upcoming players). So, let us see if he will be able to get into the list of the top ten players with most goals in international football before he fully retires from international football.

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