Top Football Players Who Are Active International Goalscorers

Football legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are inspirations for generations to come. They are among the greatest of all times in the history of the sport. Their numbers and records stand as testimonies to their greatness. 

While players like Ronaldo and Messi are the living legends of the era, there are others as well who have left an indelible mark in the history of football. Let us have a look at some of the active international goalscorers. 

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal (132 goals) 

Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list as the leading active goal scorer in international football and history of the sport. The Portuguese is the only active player to have scored more than hundred goals. He has 132 goals for home nation Portugal from 214 appearnces. Ronaldo is set to continue to lead the team in upcoming major tournaments despite playing the final stages of his career. 

The Portuguese is also the highest goal scorer in the history of the UEFA European Championships for which he was recently honoured by the organizers.  Ronaldo currently plays for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr. Having scored 900 career goals, the most by any player so far, the 39-year-old has still got the fire to play more football in his career as he aims to reach the 1000-goal mark. 

2. Lionel Messi – Argentina (109 goals)

Lionel Messi has scored 109 goals for Argentina in the international arena. Messi is one of the leading active goalscorers and World Cup winners with Argentina.  The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was the top goalscorer in Copa America 2021 with four goals and captained his nation to their first major title in 28 years. 

Messi won the Golden Boot and was named the Player of the Tournament after leading La Albiceleste to the trophy.  Lionel Messi also added the World Cup title to his name in 2022. He went on to score seven goals in the tournament. He also led Argentina to victory at the 2024 Copa America. 

3. Ali Mabkhout – UAE (85 goals) 

Ali Mabkhout is one of the two Asian players who is an active goalscorer in international football. The veteran striker has scored 85 goals for the United Arab Emirates in merely 114 games. The 33-year-old will continue to feature in the future for the national team and will most likely add more strikes to his tally.

4. Romelu Lukaku – Belgium (85 goals) 

Romelu Lukaku is one of the active international goalscorers with a formidable form. The Belgian forward has scored 85 goals for his nation in just 115 appearances. 

The Inter Milan striker was Belgium’s top scorer at Euro 2020 with four goals to his credit. One can expect Lukaku to rise further in these standings with time.  Lukaku played under Jose Mourinho at Roma in the 2023-24 season.

5. Robert Lewandowski – Poland (84 goals) 

One of the prolific goalscorers, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski is on the list with 84 goals to his name. The Barcelona Striker has played 150 matches for the national team. He is the all-time leading goalscorer for Poland. 

The 35-year-old scored three goals at Euro 2020 to increase his goal tally for Poland.  Lewandowski is enjoying his time at Spanish club Barcelona. The Polish striker won the La Liga in his first season (2023-24) at the club.

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