Scoring goals has always been the most important job on the football pitch, as it wins games and makes the difference for teams. Hence, netting for your country is often an outstanding feat as much as it is a glorifying national achievement.
Over the years, several forwards have become their nation’s highest goalscorer of all time and erected their names in the sands of time with their incredible feats.
Making use of data from the world’s best bookmakers, we will take a look at the top ten most prolific attackers in international football, which includes a variety of players from across the world.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
The Manchester United superstar became the highest international goalscorer of all time when he surpassed Iran legend Ali Daei’s long-standing 109 strikes during EURO 2020. Ronaldo’s 115 strikes would take some catching especially as he continues to be his country’s talisman at the age of 36.
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Ronaldo’s long-time rival overtook Brazil legend Pelé to become the leading international goalscorer from South America with his 80th goal for the Albiceleste recently.
Having overtaken Gabriel Batistuta as the country’s record goalscorer in 2016, Messi continues to rack up his international honours by winning the 2021 Copa America.
Sunil Chhetri (India)
The Argentine superstar is however level with India’s most-capped player of all time, who is the only Indian in the list of top 10 goalscorers in international football.
Chhetri is in distinguished company as the third-highest active international goalscorer in the world of football behind the undisputed GOATs, and could add a few more to his total from 125 caps before eventually hanging his boots.
Ali Mabkhout (United Arab Emirates)
The Al Jazira striker is the UAE’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals from 101 caps and there is no doubt the 31-year-old will rise even higher on this list in the near future.
Mabkhout is a clinical finisher and is already one of his club’s record goalscorers. The striker is a relative unknown on the world stage but his efforts in front of goal will continue to catapult him into the record books.
Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
One of the greatest strikers of his generation, the Bayern Munich centre-forward has replicated his incredible goalscoring consistency with Poland where he is their undisputed star player.
The 33-year-old marksman has hit 74 goals and counting for his country from over 120 caps and he will surely add to that total as he remains in incredible shape for club and country.
Neymar (Brazil)
The 29-year-old is one of football’s bonafide superstars and he is a shining light for his country as the second highest goalscorer for the Selecao.
Neymar has notched 70 strikes in 116 matches for Brazil and he will be looking to add many more as he prepares for his last World Cup in 2022.
Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
The Chelsea striker has scored 68 goals for the Red Devils as he is by far the country’s record goalscorer and is showing no signs of slowing at 28 years of age.
Lukaku was the joint second-highest goalscorer and won the Bronze Boot in the 2018 World Cup, his exploits in front of goals at the international level have raised him into the top ten active marksmen.
Luis Suarez (Uruguay)
The controversial striker has scored goals wherever he has been from Uruguay to the Dutch league, to England to Spain. Suarez has also brought that immaculate goalscoring ability to his national team as the country’s record goalscorer.
The Atletico Madrid striker has scored 65 goals for the South Americans to confirm his spot as one of the greatest strikers of all time.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
The famous striker is one of the most decorated active footballers in the world having won 31 trophies in his career. Ibrahimovic has also scored over 570 career goals spanning each of the last four decades and his legacy in Sweden is simply unmatched.
The 40-year-old’s 120 caps make him one of eleven players to have made at least 100 appearances for the Swedish national team over a 20-year international career. With 62 goals, Zlatan is already the oldest man in history to play for his country and could yet add a few more goals at the 2022 World Cup.
Edin Dzeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
The man nicknamed “Bosnian Diamond” by his fans has scored 60 times and is the most-capped player ever with almost 120 appearances for his country.
Dzeko is the first player to ever score 50 goals in three of Europe’s top five major leagues and is also the first Bosnian player to score 50 international goals. The 35-year-old hit ten goals to qualify Bosnia for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their first international tournament.