Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar: Ranking the top 25 international scorers by goals-per-game | OneFootball

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·25 June 2021

Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar: Ranking the top 25 international scorers by goals-per-game

Article image:Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar: Ranking the top 25 international scorers by goals-per-game

On Wednesday evening, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 108th and 109th goals of his glittering international career.

The global icon converted from the penalty spot on two occasions for Portugal in the 2-2 draw with France in their final Euro 2020 group stage game.


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Ronaldo's second successful effort from 12 yards means he is now level with Iran's Ali Daei as international football's record goalscorer.

It's yet another incredible achievement from arguably the finest footballer in history and he will likely surpass Daei's tally when Portugal meet Belgium in their Euro 2020 last-16 match on Sunday night.

The 36-year-old really is a phenomenon, but how does his stellar goalscoring record for Portugal rank among the rest of international football's leading scorers in terms of goals-per-game?

Well, we've decided to find out.

Below, you'll find the top 25 goal-getters in international history ranked in order by their goals-per-game ratios.

Ronaldo is in 15th place, with four active players ahead of him (those with an Asterix next to their name are active).

25. Hossam Hassan (Egypt) - 0.39

Games: 178

Goals: 69

24. Robbie Keane (Republic of Ireland) - 0.47

Games: 146

Goals: 68

23. Lionel Messi* (Argentina) - 0.50

Games: 147

Goals: 73

=21. Majed Adbullah (Saudi Arabia) - 0.51

Games: 140

Goals: 72

=21. Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala) - 0.51

Games: 133

Goals: 68

Article image:Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar: Ranking the top 25 international scorers by goals-per-game

20. Miroslav Klose (Germany) - 0.52

Games: 137

Goals: 71

19. Kiatisuk Senamuang (Thailand) - 0.53

Games: 134

Goals: 71

=17. Hussein Saeed Mohammed (Iraq) - 0.57

Games: 137

Goals: 78

=17. Robert Lewandowski* (Poland) - 0.57

Games: 122

Goals: 69

=15. Cristiano Ronaldo* (Portugal) - 0.61

Games: 178

Goals: 109

Article image:Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar: Ranking the top 25 international scorers by goals-per-game

=15. Stern John (Trinidad) - 0.61

Games: 115

Goals: 70

=13. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) - 0.62

Games: 105

Goals: 65

=13. Godfrey Chitalu (Zambia) - 0.62

Games: 111

Goals: 69

12. Sunil Chhetri* (India) - 0.63

Games: 118

Goals: 74

11. Neymar* (Brazil) - 0.64

Games: 107

Goals: 68

Article image:Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar: Ranking the top 25 international scorers by goals-per-game

=9. Romelu Lukaku* (Belgium) - 0.66

Games: 96

Goals: 63

=9. Mokhtar Dahari (Malaysia) - 0.66

Games: 131

Goals: 86

8. Piyapong Pue-on (Thailand) - 0.70

Games: 100

Goals: 70

7. Ali Daei (Iran) - 0.73

Games: 149

Goals: 109

6. Ali Mabkhout* (United Arab Emirates) - 0.82

Games: 93

Goals: 76

Article image:Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar: Ranking the top 25 international scorers by goals-per-game

5. Pele (Brazil) - 0.85

Games: 91

Goals: 77

=3. Kunishige Kamamoto (Japan) - 0.99

Games: 76

Goals: 75

=3. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary) - 0.99

Games: 85

Goals: 84

2. Gerd Muller (West Germany) - 1.09

Games: 62

Goals: 68

1. Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) - 1.10

Games: 68

Goals: 75

Article image:Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar: Ranking the top 25 international scorers by goals-per-game

We get the feeling that no player is going to get anywhere near either Koscis or Muller's level of prolificacy on the international stage for quite some time.

Given the difference in competitiveness and quality within the sport these days, it may never happen again...

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