The top 50 men's international goalscorers

Scoring for your country is one of the greatest achievements for a footballer - and Cristiano Ronaldo has done that more than anybody in the history of men's international football.

Here's our look at the other players who've done it on the regular down the years too - with the top 50.

50. Jan Koller - 55 goals

Koller is the Czech Republic's finest goalscorer, scoring 55 goals in his decade-long career with the national team.

The Czech striker, who played for Borussia Dortmund and Monaco among others, leads the goalscoring charts for his nation, with no other player scoring half a century of goals for the Czech Republic.

*Also on 55 goals are Iswadi Idris, Fandi Ahmad and Joachim Streich, but they took more games to the reach the figure.

49. Kazuyoshi Miura - 55 goals

Miura spent ten years playing for Japan and became one of their most distinguished goalscorers of all time, netting 55 times. Despite having multiple years where he failed to earn more than eight caps, Miura was truly clinical, scoring 18 goals in 19 caps in 1997.

48. Romario - 55 goals

Romario was clinical throughout his career and especially in his 18 years playing for Brazil, scoring 55 goals in 70 appearances and helping the Selecao to victory in the 1994 World Cup. 

47. Bader Al-Mutawa - 56 goals *

Since making his national team debut in 2003, Al-Mutawa has scored an impressive 56 goals for Kuwait. His 173 caps also make him the most capped player in Kuwaiti football history, as he also sits third in the goalscoring charts for his country.

46. Edinson Cavani - 56 goals *

Man Utd fans may have been singing 'give it, give it, give it to Edi Cavani' recently but Uruguay's players had been doing that long before he rocked up at Old Trafford. He's hit 56 for his country and counting.

45. Samuel Eto'o - 56 goals

Eto'o has the honour of being Cameroon's all-time leading goalscorer, with 56 goals in 118 appearances.

Eto'o was a key player for the Indomitable Lions, helping them win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002 as well as picking up an Olympic gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Games.

44. Gabriel Batistuta - 56 goals

What a player this guy was.

Batigol was your perfect number 9 - and he didn't only do it at club level for the likes of Fiorentina and Roma - he smashed over half a century of goals for Argentina too.

43. Landon Donovan - 57 goals

Donovan is the USA's joint all-time leading goalscorer, having netted 57 times from 2000 to 2014. The American also sits second in the number of appearances for the USMNT, just seven caps short of Cobi Jones' record of 164 caps.

42. Younis Mahmoud - 57 goals

Although he is quite a way off Iraq's record goalscorer, Mahmoud is still one of his nation's finest. From 2002 to 2016, the Iraqi striker netted 57 times in 148 caps, holding the feat of being Iraq's most capped player of all time.

41. Clint Dempsey - 57 goals

Clint Dempsey shares the feat of being the USA's record goalscorer with Landon Donovan, having also scored 57 goals for the US.

Dempsey managed his goals in 141 caps during a 13-year career, before announcing his retirement in 2017.

40. Carlos Pavon - 57 goals

Pavon is one of the most decorated players in Honduran football history.

While he played for 14 different clubs in his playing career, Pavón's goalscoring record was exceptional for his national team, netting 57 goals from 1993 to 2010 for Los Catrachos.

39. Ali Ashfaq - 57 goals *

A hero in his native Maldives, Ashfaq is still going strong after making his debut in 2003.

He once scored six goals in a game against Sri Lanka and scored another four against Bhutan two days later in 2013.

38. Cha Bum-kun - 58 goals

Cha Bum-kun holds the record for being South Korea's leading goalscorer, netting 58 times in 135 appearances. He was theBundesliga's first ever South Korean player when he joined Darmstadt in 1978, and continued to play for the Red Devils until retiring in 1986.

37. David Villa - 59 goals

One of the key figures in Spain's golden generation which won the 2010 World Cup, Villa is La Roja's top goalscorer with 59 goals in just under a century of appearances.

Villa won the Silver Boot at the tournament in South Africa, where his wonderful performances lit up the competition as he scored five goals en route to Spain's World Cup triumph.

36. Imre Schlosser - 59 goals

Making his international debut in 1906, Hungary's Imre Schlosser is the earliest player to feature on this list.

During his 21 years playing for Hungary, Schlosser scored a respectable 59 goals before retiring in 1927. This is even more impressive considering he only earned 68 caps during his international career, and he certainly would have scored more if he had more opportunities to play.

35. Edin Dzeko - 61 goals *

Dzeko's goalscoring excellence for Bosnia and Herzegovina looks set to continue, as he sits on 61 goals.

The Inter talisman has represented his country since 2007, and despite already being top of the goalscoring charts he looks set to build on his impressive tally.

34. Abdul Ghani Minhat - 61 goals

Minhat represented both Malaya and Malaysia at international level.

He was a regular scorer against the likes of Japan and Thailand.

33. Ahmed Radhi - 62 goals

Radhi scored 62 goals during a 15-year career with Iraq, in which he made 121 appearances. He is considered to be one of his country's greatest ever footballers, though he sits second in the goalscoring charts.

32. Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 62 goals *

Ibrahimovic is surely Sweden's greatest player ever, something which is endorsed by his goalscoring record.

He missed out on Euro 2020 through injury, but the seemingly evergreen striker may end up in his country's colours again one day.

31. Ronaldo - 62 goals

Ronaldo is currently Brazil's third highest goalscorer, having been overtaken by someone who we'll get to in a moment.

The Brazilian icon scored 62 goals in 98 caps and played a key role in Brazil's 2002 World Cup triumph, scoring both goals in their 2-0 final win over Germany in Yokohama.

30. Jasem Al-Huwaidi - 63 goals

Al-Huwaidi scored 63 goals for Kuwait and represented his country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Among his international honours were a silver medal in the Asian Games, two Gulf Cups and third place in the Arab Cup.

29. Didier Drogba - 65 goals

Ivory Coast's all-time leading goalscorer and one of the greatest African players ever, Drogba was prolific for his country.

The Chelsea legend netted 65 goals for the Elephants, earning a century of caps before calling time on his international career in 2014.

28. Hossam Hassan - 68 goals

Hossam Hassan is considered to be one of Egypt's best ever players, having scored 68 times for the Pharoahs.

In an international career spanning three decades and 176 games, Hassan helped his country to three Africa Cup of Nations titles before finally retiring after 21 years in 2006.

27. Robbie Keane - 68 goals

Robbie Keane's place on this list is no surprise, with the Irishman maintaining a reputation of being a prolific striker throughout his career.

Keane scored 68 goals in 146 caps for the Republic of Ireland and leads the way in both goals and appearances for his nation.

26. Carlos Ruiz - 68 goals

Ruiz represented his country for 18 years before retiring in 2016, scoring 68 goals in that time and making the most amount of appearances for his nation.

25. Luis Suarez - 68 goals *

Although he is one of modern football's pantomime villains, Luis Suárez's ability as a goalscoring striker cannot be questioned.

The Barcelona striker is one of Uruguay's most decorated players and leads the goalscoring charts, having scored 68 goals, featuring at three World Cups for La Celeste.

24. Romelu Lukaku - 68 goals *

In all likelihood, Romelu Lukaku will finish his career in the top ten of all international goalscorers at the very least.

Remarkably clinical, the striker has glorious playmakers around him for Belgium and still has plenty of years to add to his current haul of strikes.

23. Gerd Muller - 68 goals

Muller was a goalscoring genius in the 1960s and 1970s, with a fine record for West Germany. Der Bomber scored 68 goals in 62 caps during his short but sweet eight-year career, at an average of 1.1 goals per game.

22. Stern John - 70 goals

John is not only the record goalscorer for Trinidad and Tobago, but also for any CONCACAF nation.

The Trinidadian forward, who spent time at Coventry City and Crystal Palace, scored 70 goals in 115 appearances, making him one of the greatest international goalscorers around.

21. Abdul Kadir - 70 goals

Kadir's international debut for Indonesia came when he was just 16, but his first international goals came in 1967 against South Korea and Singapore at the Merdeka Tournament.

In 111 appearances, he would end up finding the net 70 times - with almost all of his goals coming exclusively against other countries from Asia.

20. Piyapong Pue-on - 70 goals

Pue-on was a regular scorer during the various editions of the Southeast Asian Games in the 1980s and 1990s.

He finished his international career with 70 goals in 100 caps.

19. Miroslav Klose - 71 goals

Miroslav Klose broke two huge records in 2014, firstly overtaking Gerd Müller to become Germany's all-time leading goalscorer.

His second came in the World Cup of that year, when Klose became the all-time men's leading World Cup goalscorer with 16 goals in the semi-final thrashing of Brazil. He retired following Die Mannschaft's victory, scoring 71 goals in 137 appearances over 13 years.

18. Kiatisuk Senamuang - 71 goals

Pue-on was just one goal short of becoming Thailand's record goalscorer, but instead that honour goes to Kiatisuk Senamuang.

Senamuang represented Thailand for 14 years after making his debut in 1993 and went on to score a record 71 goals, amassing a record 134 appearances.

17. Kinnah Phiri - 71 goals

Kinnah Phiri is Malawi's greatest player of all time, with his 71 goals making him their outright top scorer. Phiri played for his country during the 1970s and 1980s, managing a record 115 appearances in eight years representing Malawi.

16. Majed Abdullah - 72 goals

Saudi Arabia's record goalscorer represented his nation across three decades, helping them to two Asian Cups in 1984 and 1988.

Abdullah scored 72 times for the Green Falcons and helped them become one of the best teams in the Middle East, calling time on his international career after the 1994 World Cup.

15. Neymar - 73 goals *

When you consider the fact that Neymar only made his Brazil debut in 2010, his goal tally of 73 and counting is even more outstanding.

The Selecao star has many years ahead of him, so many that it's widely expected that Neymar will become his country's greatest ever goalscorer.

14. Robert Lewandowski - 75 goals *

Lewandowski has a strong scoring record for Poland, having managed 75 goals since making his senior debut in 2008.

He became the first Poland international to score in three European Championships during Euro 2020. A complete forward.

13. Bashar Abdullah - 75 goals

Once ranked 24th in the world, Kuwait sat high in the rankings thanks to Bashar Abdullah's goalscoring record.

Abdullah grabbed 75 goals for Kuwait, helping them to a fourth place finish at the 1996 Asian Cup. He retired from international duty in 2007 and remains Kuwait's most distinguished goalscorer.

12. Sándor Kocsis - 75 goals

Despite netting an impressive 75 goals for Hungary, Kocsis is the highest international goalscorer on this list who is not his nation's all-time leading goalscorer.

Despite averaging a remarkable 1.1 goals per game, Kocsis ranks second for Hungary having played alongside the great Ferenc Puskás. Nevertheless he was an outstanding player, averaging 9.4 goals a year during his short but sweet eight-year international career.

11. Pelé - 77 goals

Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Pelé scored 77 times for Brazil during one of the national team's most successful eras.

Pelé began his international career and goal tally at 16, making him the youngest ever goalscorer for the Seleção. He also played a key part in three of Brazil's five World Cup wins, as he was a part of the winning squads of 1958, 1962 and 1970.

10. Hussein Saeed - 78 goals

Iraq's top goalscorer Saeed makes the top ten in the all-time list, registering 78 goals for his country. As well as being his nation's record goalscorer, Saeed also made the second-most caps for Iraq, with his 137 appearances placing him narrowly behind Younis Mahmoud.

9. Godfrey Chitalu - 79 goals

Zambia's Godfrey Chitalu is the highest scoring African international of all time, scoring 79 goals in 111 caps for the Chipolopolo.

After representing his country for 12 years, Chitalu became Zambia manager in 1993. However, his managerial career only lasted a matter of months, as he tragically lost his life later that year alongside the entire Zambian squad in the infamous plane crash.

8. Sunil Chhetri - 80 goals *

Chhetri is undoubtedly India's greatest ever player, holding the record for both the most amount of goals and appearances for the country.

He bagged his first international goal in 2005.

7. Ali Mabkhout - 80 goals *

Making his debut for the United Arab Emirates in 2009, Mabkhout has racked up the goals in Asian Cups and qualification games.

He's scored against teams like Australia, Iceland, Japan and New Zealand, and scored 19 times in 2019 alone - he has played his entire career to date with Al Jazira in the UAE Pro League.

6. Kunishige Kamamoto - 80 goals

Kamamoto had an excellent goalscoring record for Japan, with 0.95 goals per game in his international career. He averaged 5.7 goals a year during his a 13-year career with the Samurai Blue, scoring 15 goals in 1972 and eight hat-tricks before retiring in 1977.

5. Ferenc Puskas - 84 goals

Puskas was a natural born goalscorer, playing a huge role in Hungary's Mighty Magyars squad. He netted 84 goals in just 85 caps sitting just short of a goal per game, and was the highest international goalscorer of all time for over four decades before being overtaken in 2003.

4. Lionel Messi - 86 goals *

Messi made his international debut in 2005 and, while he leads the way for Argentina in terms of goals, he has work to do to bustle his way into the top three.

Copa America success in 2021 was the most recent feather in his rather decorated cap, but Messi no doubt has his sights set on scoring the winner in a World Cup final.

3. Mokhtar Dahari - 89 goals

He never scored against a European nation, but there's no doubting Dahari was able to find the back of the net when Malaysia needed him.

Most of his strikes came during the 1970s in competitions such as the Merdeka Tournament and the SEA Games. He scored five goals in a game twice during his career - against the Philippines in 1974 and Burma in 1977.

2. Ali Daei - 109 goals

In an international career spanning 13 years from 1993 to 2006, Daei scored an incredible 109 goals in 149 caps for Team Melli.

Daei scored the majority of his goals in the 21st century, with 54% of his goals coming in the final six years of his career. However, what's remarkable is that Daei only failed to score in one competition that he played in, never managing to net in the World Cup in five appearances.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - 117 goals *

Another record for Ronaldo - and this one is a pretty big deal. The Portuguese superstar broke Ali Daei's record against the Republic of Ireland in September 2021 - scoring two late goals to snatch a dramatic win.

Ronaldo's goals have been pivotal in Portugal's recent success, captaining them to the 2016 European Championship and 2019 Nations League titles.

And he's not done yet either...