We take a look at who has scored the most goals in international football history with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the way and showing no signs of letting up.
Only 11 players in the history of the game have hit 80 or more international goals with the legendary Ferenc Puskas the first to reach the landmark during the 1950s.
It was a tally that kept Puskas at the head of the international scoring charts for the next 24 years until Mokhtar Dahari of Malaysia netted the 85th strike of his international career against Kuwait in 1980.
Another 24 years passed until it was broken again when Ali Daei of Iran completed his ascent to the top of the international goalscoring ranks.
Daei - who ended his career with a total of 108 goals - created history when he became the first player to reach a century of goals for his nation with four strikes in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Laos.
At present, Daei is now one of three players to reach the 100-goal mark for their country alongside (of course) Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo (146) and Messi (125) are a deserved 1-2 at the head of the international scoring affairs.
Most goals in men's international football
Rank | Player | Nation | Caps | Goals |
1. | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 233 | 146 |
2. | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 207 | 125 |
3. | Ali Daei | Iran | 148 | 108 |
4. | Sunil Chhetri | India | 155 | 95 |
5. | Romelu Lukaku | Belgium | 132 | 93 |
6. | Mokhtar Dahari | Malaysia | 142 | 89 |
6. | Robert Lewandowski | Poland | 167 | 86 |
8. | Ali Mabkhout | UAE | 115 | 85 |
8. | Harry Kane | England | 121 | 85 |
10. | Ferenc Puskas | Hungary & Spain | 89 | 84 |
At 41 years old, Ronaldo continues to march on and he hit a record-extending 146th goal in his country's World Cup tie with Croatia in July 2026.
Messi has finally hung up his boots at international level, though does so as football's second highest international goalscorer.
Romelu Lukaku is closing in on the 100 mark, currently on 93, five behind Sunil Chhetri and 15 behind Ali Daei.
With 79 goals to his name, Neymar is the highest scorer in Brazil's history, though has been bumped out of the top 10, with England's Harry Kane now joint-eighth on 85.
