Hungary's Imre Schlosser was the first men's player to score 50 international goals.
The legendary forward achieved that feat way back in 1917 and netted 59 in all, holding the record for the most goals at international level for 26 years.
Even moving into the modern era, scoring 50 international goals was relatively rare: Bobby Charlton's 49 for England was a national record until 2015; the great Diego Maradona did not get particularly close to the mark and no Italian player has been anywhere near it.
But these days, there are more matches and that brings the opportunity for footballers to score more. Some have even passed the 100 mark. Here, a look at some notable players in the men's game who have netted more than 50 goals at international level...
32. Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez hit the winning penalty in the shootout against Argentina to win the Copa America for Chile – the nation's first ever major football trophy – in 2015.
Sanchez is perhaps the pick in a special generation of Chilean players. He helped La Roja win the Copa America Centenario a year later too and reached 50 international goals with his winner against Austria in a friendly in September 2022.
31. Hakan Sukur
Hakan Sukur is Turkey's all-time top scorer, with 51 international goals scored in 112 games between 1992 and 2007.
Sukur is the Turkish Super Lig top scorer as well, with most of those goals coming in three spells at Galatasaray. He also played in Italy with Inter, Parma and Torino, and helped Turkey reach the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup.
30. Thierry Henry
A World Cup winner with France in his first major tournament and a European champion with Les Bleus two years later, Thierry Henry went on to become one of the best players in the world.
The former Arsenal striker scored 52 goals for France and was the nation's top scorer until he was overtaken by Olivier Giroud in December 2022.
29. Asamoah Gyan
Although he will always be remembered for missing the penalty which would have taken Ghana to the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup, Asamoah Gyan also enjoyed an impressive international career.
The striker was key in the team's run to the quarter-finals before that clash against Uruguay. He scored 51 goals in 109 games for the Black Stars between 2003 and 2019 overall and was a runner-up twice at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010 and 2015.
28. Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson scored 52 goals for Denmark between 1997 and 2010 and is the nation's all-time top scorer alongside Poul Nielsen, who played in the 1910s and 1920s.
Tomasson played for Feyenoord, AC Milan and Newcastle United, among others. He featured in four major tournaments for the Danes and retired after the 2010 World Cup.
27. Javier Hernandez
Javier Hernandez made his Mexico debut in 2009 and scored his first two international goals in his second cap as El Tri beat Bolivia 5-0.
Nicknamed El Chicharito, the former Manchester United striker scored in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups. His 50th Mexico goal came in a 2-1 win over South Korea at Russia 2018.
26. Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney surpassed the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton to become the all-time top scorer for both Manchester United and England.
Rooney netted 53 goals in 120 appearances for the Three Lions in a 15-year international career between 2003 and 2018. His total was overtaken by former England team-mate Harry Kane in 2023.
25. Jan Koller
Jan Koller started out as a goalkeeper but became a striker and standing at 2.02 metres (6 foot 8 inches), the Czech centre-forward was a huge presence.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker scored 55 goals for the Czech Republic in 91 international appearances between 1999 and 2009 and helped his nation to the semi-finals of Euro 2004.
24. Romario
Romario scored 55 goals in just 70 games for Brazil and the former Barcelona forward was instrumental as the Seleção won the World Cup in 1994.
Named as the World Cup's best player at USA '94, Romario scored five times at the tournament. A two-time Copa America winner in 1989 and 1997, he was unlucky to miss the 1998 tournament through injury and was angry at not being selected in 2002.
23. Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o scored 56 goals for Cameroon in 118 games and is considered one of the greatest African players of all time.
The former Barcelona and Inter forward made his Cameroon debut a day before his 16th birthday. He went on to help the Indomitable Lions win Olympic gold in 2000, along with two Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2000 and 2002.
22. Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta is one of the greatest strikers in the history of football and a legend at Fiorentina, where he spent nine of the best years of his impressive career.
A two-time Copa America winner with Argentina, Batigol netted 56 goals in just 78 games for the Albiceleste and was the nation's all-time top scorer until he was overtaken by Lionel Messi in 2016. His Argentine record of 10 World Cup goals stood until 2022, when Messi beat that too.
21. Landon Donovan & Clint Dempsey
Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey were seen as rivals for much of their careers, but the pair were also team-mates for the United States for many years.
Both players retired with 57 international goals for USA, sharing the nation's record total in men's football, and the debate over which one was better ultimately comes down to personal preference.
20. Olivier Giroud
Although he didn't score a goal for France in their 2018 World Cup win, Olivier Giroud has been an important and reliable player for Les Bleus over the years.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker scored his 50th and 51st France goals in a 4-1 win over Australia at the 2022 World Cup and went on to net versus Poland and England as Les Bleus reached the final in Qatar.
19. Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah made his Egypt debut in 2011 and got off the mark in his second cap, a 2-0 win over Niger in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
Salah's 50th international goal came in another AFCON qualifier in March 2023, this time against Malawi in a 2-0 victory for the Pharaohs in Cairo.
18. David Villa
David Villa took Raul's number 7 shirt for Spain and also overtook the Real Madrid legend to become La Roja's all-time top scorer.
Villa played a big part in Spain's success at Euro 2008 and again in their 2010 World Cup triumph, when he scored five goals in their campaign in South Africa. In total, Villa netted 59 goals in 98 appearances for La Roja.
17. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic played into his early forties and scored 62 goals in 122 appearances for Sweden in a long international career.
Ibrahimovic scored in three successive European Championships, in 2004, 2008 and 2012, but never at a World Cup. He retired from international football in 2016, but returned to action with Sweden in 2021 before bowing out again in 2023. He did not score any goals after his return.
16. Ronaldo
Ronaldo was plagued by injuries for much of his career, but the brilliant Brazilian is still considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.
The former Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid forward won two World Cups with Brazil – one without playing in 1994, the second as the team's star in 2002 – and netted an impressed 62 goals in 98 caps for his country between 1994 and 2011. He was top scorer at the 2002 tournament and also won the Copa America twice.
15. Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba scored 63 international goals for Ivory Coast in 102 appearances between 2002 and 2014.
The former Chelsea favourite helped the Elephants qualify for two World Cups, netted a goal in each – against Argentina in 2006 and Brazil in 2010 – and was top scorer at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
14. Harry Kane
Harry Kane scored on his England debut against Lithuania in March 2015 and took just seven years to reach 50 goals for the Three Lions, netting that landmark goal in a 1-1 draw with Germany in June 2022.
A World Cup Golden Boot winner in 2018, Kane helped England to the semi-finals of the tournament and to the final of Euro 2020. In a 2-1 win over Italy in March 2023, the former Tottenham striker surpassed Wayne Rooney to become England's all-time top scorer with his 54th international goal.
13. Edin Dzeko
Edin Dzeko made his international debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2007 and a decade later, the former Manchester City and Roma striker reached 50 goals for his country in a 2-1 win over Albania.
Dzeko, who has also played for Inter, Wolfsburg and Fenerbahce at club level, had netted 65 goals for his national team by the end of 2023.
12. Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane retired with 68 goals for the Republic of Ireland, which is more than three times the amount netted by the nation's previous top scorer, Niall Quinn (22).
Keane's 68 goals came in 146 games in an 18-year international career between 1998 and 2016. Those include memorable strikes against Germany and Spain at the 2002 World Cup.
11. Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez made his debut for Uruguay in 2007 and four years later, helped the Celeste win the Copa America title in Argentina.
A World Cup semi-finalist in 2010, when his controversial handball against Ghana helped Uruguay reach the last four, Suarez scored his 50th goal in a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in 2018. By the end of 2023, the former Barcelona and Liverpool striker had scored 68 international goals.
10. Gerd Muller
Gerd Muller scored over 500 goals for Bayern Munich in a prolific club career and was on target 68 times for West Germany in just 62 appearances.
Muller, nicknamed Der Bomber, helped West Germany win the European Championship in 1972 and the World Cup two years later. He scored two goals in the 1972 final against the Soviet Union and the winner versus the Netherlands in 1974.
9. Pelé
Pelé played 92 games for Brazil between 1957 and 1971 and scored 77 goals. He also won three World Cups, a record which may never be equalled, let alone beaten.
The legendary forward scored 12 times in just 14 World Cup appearances, including two in the 1958 final at the age of just 17. In his career as a whole, he netted over 1,000 goals.
8. Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose was a fine centre-forward in a lengthy club career for the likes of Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich and Lazio.
But in international football, he was at a different level. Klose played in four World Cups, winning the Silver Boot in 2002, the Golden Boot in 2006 and then helping Germany to the trophy in 2014. He retired with a record 71 goals for Die Mannschaft, having surpassed the legendary Gerd Muller.
7. Neymar
Neymar scored for Brazil on his international debut as an 18-year-old against the United States and reached 50 goals in just 74 caps by scoring in a win over Argentina in November 2016.
And seven years later, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward surpassed the legendary Pelé to become Brazil's all-time scorer as he hit his 78th and 79th international goals in a 5-1 win over Bolivia.
6. Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski overtook Polish legend Włodzimierz Lubanski to become the nation's all-time top scorer with a hat-trick against Armenia in October 2017.
The former Bayern Munich striker reached 50 international goals in the same match and had gone on to score 82 times for Poland by the end of 2023.
5. Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku's club career has had its ups and downs, but the Belgian's goals record is impressive and at international level, it's even better.
The former Manchester United, Chelsea and Inter striker made his Belgium debut in 2010 at the age of just 17 and hit 50 international goals in 2019, with a double against San Marino. And in November 2023, he hit four in a 5-0 win over Azerbaijan to make it 83 goals in 113 appearances at the age of 30.
4. Ferenc Puskas
Ferenc Puskas netted an incredible 84 goals in just 85 games for Hungary between 1945 and 1956 – and held the international scoring record for 24 years.
The legendary Real Madrid forward was the most famous member and captain of Hungray's Mighty Magyars side, which won Olympic gold in 1952 and reached the World Cup final in 1954. Puskas' 50th and 51st goals came in a 7-1 win over Turkey in 1952, in just his 41st cap. He also played four matches for Spain in 1961 and 1962, but didn't score.
3. Ali Daei
Ali Daei was the all-time top scorer in international football with 109 international goals until he was surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo in September 2021.
The Iranian legend netted all of those in an international career spanning 13 years, between 1993 and 2006, and bowed out after the 2006 World Cup. In 2021, his total of 109 goals in 149 games was downgraded to 108 in 148, with FIFA no longer recognising Iran's match against Ecuador's Olympic team in 2000 as an official international fixture.
2. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi scored his 50th international goal in a World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in March 2016.
The Barcelona legend surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's all-time top scorer later in the year with a goal against Colombia, his 57th for the Albiceleste, and the World Cup winning-forward passed the 100 mark with a hat-trick against Curaçao in March 2023.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed Pauleta as Portugal's all-time top scorer with a brace in a 5-1 win over Cameroon in March 2014, which took him to 49 international goals.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward scored his 50th for Portugal in a 2-1 win over Ghana at the 2014 World Cup. He reached 100 with a double against Sweden in September 2020 and surpassed Ali Daei to become the all-time top scorer at international level with two more versus France at the delayed Euro 2020 tournament in a 2-2 draw in June 2021.
