The 15 Top Scoring Active International Players
By Dom Smith
Not every striker takes to international football well. Some sink, but some swim for miles.
Miroslav Klose, Ferenc Puskás and Pelé are three examples of players who rose their games after pulling on their national jerseys and, predictably, Germany, Hungary and Brazil all benefited hugely.
The highest scorer in the history of international football is Ali Daei, who netted an incredible 109 goals in 149 caps for Iran. Not only that, but he scored eight hat tricks for his nation, too.
Few are likely to ever get close to his tally, though the below players have as good a chance as any, providing they can hang around for a few more years.
So, here are the 15 top scorers in international football who are still active at that level.
= 14. Edinson Cavani (Uruguay - 50 goals)
Not the only Uruguayan forward to feature in here, Cavani has been playing in Europe's top five leagues for over 12 years since joining Palermo in 2007. He made his debut for Uruguay a year later, capping the occasion with a goal on the counterattack.
It was a sign of things to come from a player who has also netted at three World Cups and is Paris Saint-Germain's record scorer.
= 14. Shinji Okazaki (Japan - 50 goals)
One of those players who peaks for his country, Okazaki scored more international goals in the calendar year of 2009 than anyone else worldwide, netting 15 in 16 games.
He hasn't scored for his nation in over two years now, but a steady flurry of strikes across his international career means he's level with Cavani on 50 goals.
13. Asamoah Gyan (Ghana - 51 goals)
Gyan is a trailblazer for African strikers who wish to make a mark at the greatest show on earth – the World Cup.
A journeyman at club level, Gyan has been playing internationally for his country of birth since 2003, appearing at senior level for the very first time when he was just 17 years of age and scoring on his debut.
= 11. Javier Hernández (Mexico - 52 goals)
The man more commonly known as Chicharito, Hernández has been leading Mexico's front line since bursting onto the scene in 2009.
The LA Galaxy forward is a one-time CONCACAF Gold Cup winner who has found the net against teams like Brazil, France, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. At 31, he could score a fair few more yet.
= 11. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium - 52 goals)
A key part of Belgium's golden generation, Lukaku had hit 50 international goals by the ridiculously young age of just 26. There are undoubtedly more to come, with his tally currently at 52 in just 84 matches.
The Inter star has scored 30 goals in his last 28 caps - enough said.
10. Ali Ashfaq (Maldives - 53 goals)
Though perhaps not the hardest feat to achieve, Ali Ashfaq is far and away the best player the Maldives have ever produced.
His goals-to-games rate at club level is mind-blowing, and it's a similar story when he competes for his country, too. The 34-year-old has 53 goals in just 80 caps.
9. Bader Al-Mutawa (Kuwait - 56 goals)
The first player to feature here who was also included in the 15 most-capped active international players, Al-Mutawa has scored an incredible 56 goals and played 178 times for Kuwait.
Besides two short loan spells, he has spent his entire career at Qadsia, one of Kuwait's biggest clubs.
8. Edin Džeko (Bosnia & Herzegovina - 58 goals)
Bosnia have come close to reaching a number of major tournaments in the last ten years and eventually made the final step by reaching the 2014 World Cup.
They wouldn't have even got close without the goalscoring exploits of former Manchester City man Edin Džeko. Now at Roma, he has scored for Bosnia & Herzegovina in every year since 2007.
7. Luis Suárez (Uruguay - 59 goals)
Everyone knows Luis Suárez scores goals. He smacks the back of the net consistently regardless of who he's playing for, whether it be Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona or Uruguay.
The fourth of seven brothers, Suárez has scored seven World Cup goals and won the 2011 Copa América, scoring in the final against Paraguay.
6. Ali Mabkhout (United Arab Emirates - 60 goals)
The first entrant to pass the 60 goals mark, Mabkhout has taken just 83 matches to record that impressive tally.
A club legend and one-club man at Al Jazira Club, Mabkhout is still only 29 and only scored his first international goal in 2012. An incredible record.
= 4. Robert Lewandowski (Poland - 61 goals)
A rampant goalscorer whenever it gets to Euro or World Cup qualifying time, Lewandowski currently finds himself with 61 international strikes to his name.
The Bayern Munich legend is still awaiting his first World Cup goal and only has two in European Championships, but he is Poland's record goalscorer by 13 goals.
= 4. Neymar (Brazil - 61 goals)
Only Pelé and Ronaldo have scored more goals for the Brazil national team than Neymar. It's difficult to understand quite how this 28-year-old winger has already notched 61 international goals.
In the club game, Neymar is one of the few players to post anything like Messi and Ronaldo-style numbers since moving to Europe and Barcelona in 2013. He already has 13 goals in major international tournaments for Seleção.
3. Lionel Messi (Argentina - 70 goals)
Lionel Messi is yet to win a major trophy with Argentina, having been a runner-up in three Copa América tournaments and at the 2014 World Cup, too.
But his contribution to the Argentina national side can't really be faulted, with the legendary playmaker hitting the back of the net a record 70 times from 138 caps.
There was even time to reverse retirement twice.
2. Sunil Chhetri (India - 72 goals)
Indian sporting icon Sunil Chhetri is fast approaching his 36th birthday but shows no signs of stopping, having struck seven goals in 11 caps for his country in 2019.
Chhetri is India's captain, top scorer, most-capped player and undoubtedly their greatest ever player.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal - 99 goals)
The most likely to claim the all-time goals record, Ronaldo trails Ali Daei by just ten goals and, even if he is 35, the odds are in his favour to take that record, especially with the 2022 World Cup qualifiers on the horizon. Malta, San Marino and Gibraltar: bring it on.
Not many in history have taken to international football as well as Ronaldo, who will still feel he can add to the Euro 2016 and 2019 Nations League trophies he has already won with Portugal.