The greatest finishers in football history

In football, it's all well and good producing lovely build-up play – but you need someone to put the ball in the net at the end of the move.

Not all forwards are created equal – but, over the years, the game has seen some unbelievably clinical finishers.

Here, we run through the best there have ever been...

32. Lajos Tichy

According to football stats doyens RSSSF, Lajos Tichy ranks as the most prolific goalscorer in football history – with a whopping 1,917 goals in 1,307 matches, both official and unofficial.

Even his official record wasn't too shabby, though: 51 goals in 72 caps for Hungary, and 249 in 329 appearances for legendary Budapest club Honved. Deadly.

31. Billy Sharp

Billy Sharp's move to LA Galaxy in the summer of 2023 marked a radical change for a player who has spent almost his entire career in the EFL.

Most of his appearances have come in the Championship, though, England's notoriously tough second tier – but a division Sharp made light work of as he banged in goal after goal, mostly in three spells with hometown club Sheffield United.

30. Brian Clough

As a manager, Cloughy was nothing short of legendary – and his playing career wasn't half bad, either...

The decorated former Nottingham Forest was a prolific striker for Middlesbrough and Sunderland, amassing one of the best single-season goal tallies in the history of the English second tier for Boro: 43 in 42 appearances in 1958/59.

29. George Camsell

Staying on Teesside, the most prolific England striker you've probably never heard of is perhaps George Camsell. He averaged two goals a game for the Three Lions, finding the net 18 times in nine caps in the 1920s and 1930s.

His crowning achievement came in the second season of his career, though, when he chalked up an incredible 59 goals in 37 appearances as Middlesbrough won the 1926/27 Second Division title.

28. Henrik Larsson

From Celtic to Barcelona to Manchester United, Henrik Larsson carried the huge weight of expectation of playing for some of the biggest clubs in world football.

And it was at the former where he truly thrived, banging in 242 goals in 313 appearances – including a career best 53 in 50 during the 2000/2002 campaign.

27. Stan Mortensen

The first player to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup final (Blackpool's famous 4-3 triumph over Bolton Wanderers in 1953) Mortensen notched 284 goals for club and country.

He was also the first England player to score at the World Cup finals, netting against Chile at the 1950 tournament in Brazil.

26. Just Fontaine

With 13 goals in six games at the 1958 tournament, Just Fontaine was one of the most prolific World Cup scorers in history.

The Frenchman struck 30 times in 21 caps for France altogether, and was just as clinical at club level for Nice and Reims – reaching the 1959 European Cup final with the latter.

25. Davor Suker

The first superstar of Croatian football, following the country's independence, Davor Suker's goals helped fire his nation to third place at the 1998 World Cup – where performances saw him finish third in that year's FIFA World Player of the Year vote.

At club level, Suker was most prolific during his time in La Liga with Sevilla and Real Madrid – winning the 1997/98 Champions League with the latter.

24. Paolo Rossi

One of a handful of players to have won the World Cup, as well as the tournament's Golden Boot (for top scorer) and Golden Ball (for best player) awards, Paolo Rossi is arguably Italy's greatest ever striker.

At one time the most expensive player on the planet, Rossi fired his country to glory with a tournament-high six goals at the 1982 World Cup – including the opener in the final.

23. Hugo Sanchez

Widely regarded as the greatest Mexican player of all time, Hugo Sanchez enjoyed a goal-laden club career largely for Real Madrid – who he joined from rivals Atletico in 1985.

Capable of scoring all kinds of goals, from tap-ins to amazing acrobatic efforts, Sanchez finished as La Liga top scorer on four occasions – including consecutive seasons between 1984/85 and 1987/88.

22. Miroslav Klose

For anyone who grew up watching the World Cup in the first decades of the 21st century, Miroslav Klose is probably one of the first names that springs to mind.

The brilliant German poacher scored 16 goals across four editions of the tournament – including two in Germany's 2014 triumph – as well as passing the 50 goal mark for Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich and Lazio at club level.

21. Sandor Kocsis

A key member of Hungary's legendary Mighty Magyars team of the 1950s, Sandor Kocsis amassed 556 goals in 537 career appearances – including 75 in 68 caps for Hungary, for whom he hit seven hat-tricks.

The longest spell of his club career came at Barcelona, who he helped to two La Liga titles.

20. Ronaldo

The 'original' Ronaldo helped redefine the role of the centre-forward in the 1990s and early 2000s, and – of course – did so while banging in goal after goal, with many a special strike among them.

A star for Barcelona and Real Madrid, O Fenomeno's career pinnacle came at the 2002 World Cup, where he finished as top scorer and bagged both of Brazil's goals en route to victory over Germany in the final.

19. Mo Salah

Perhaps the greatest African footballer of all time, Mo Salah's career took off big time when he joined Liverpool in 2017.

Usually being deployed out wide hasn't hindered the Egypt captain, who has won every trophy on offer with the Reds – scoring some truly magical goals in the process and becoming one of the club's all-time leading marksmen.

18. Dixie Dean

Dixie Dean indelibly etched his name into English football folklore with his historic haul of 60 league goals (plus another three in the FA Cup) as Everton won the 1927/28 First Division title.

The first ever player to wear the number nine shirt – in the 1933 FA Cup final, the first game in which shirt numbers were worn – Dean also scored 18 times in 16 caps for England.

17. Jimmy Greaves

A Tottenham, Chelsea and England legend, Greaves made the art of goalscoring look easy – something he put down to his laid-back attitude on the pitch.

Spurs' all-time leading scorer for more than half a century – until Harry Kane broke his record in 2023 – the late Greaves won the 1966 World Cup with England, and the 1961/62 Serie A title with AC Milan.

16. Ruud van Nistelrooy

Perhaps the most devastating poacher of the Premier League era, Ruud van Nistelrooy seldom scored from outside the box.

But he didn't need to: of the 150 goals the Dutchman notched during a five-year spell with Manchester United, only one of them came from further than 18 yards out.

15. Kylian Mbappe

A natural-born finisher despite not necessarily playing as an out-and-out centre-forward, Kylian Mbappe established himself as one of the world's best players while still a teenager.

Named Best Young Player as France won the 2018 World Cup (where he scored in the final), Kylian went on to claim the Golden Boot as Les Bleus almost retained their crown in 2022 – becoming the first player since Geoff Hurst to score a World Cup final hat-trick.

14. Robert Lewandowski

Few players in history have scored more Bundesliga or Champions League goals than Robert Lewandowski, for whom tallies of 40 or more in a season became the norm at Bayern Munich.

In fact, the prolific Poland skipper managed that feat seven years running – even breaking the 50-goal barrier in 2019/20, when he struck 55 times despite Covid shortening the campaign slightly.

13. Alan Shearer

The sight of Alan Shearer wheeling away with one arm raised was an all too familiar occurance for opponents of Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle during the 1990s and 2000s.

A Premier League Golden Boot winner three seasons running between 1994 and 1997, Shearer amassed 282 goals in the English top flight – and a further 30 for England.

12. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

One of the most formidable characters of the 21st-century game, Zlatan Ibrahimovic also goes down as one of it's most formidable goal-getters.

The famously outspoken Swede did score tap-ins – but his career will primarily be remembered for a whole catalogue of worldies, most notably that 35-yard bicycle kick against England in 2013.

11. Harry Kane

Among the most lethal marksman in the history of the Premier League and the England national team, Harry Kane needs little invitation to bury the ball in the back of the net.

A Golden Boot winner in the English top flight and at the World Cup, Kane is also one of the deadliest penalty takers around.

10. Luis Suarez

You don't win the Golden Boot in the Premier League and La Liga without being a seriously clinical finisher – and that almost feels like an understatement where Luis Suarez is concerned.

Arguably Uruguay's greatest ever player, El Pistolero has banged in the goals wherever he's gone, peaking with an astonishing 59 in 53 games for Barcelona in 2015/16.

9. Pele

For many, the late, great Pele is still the finest player ever to grace a football pitch – and grace it he most certainly did, scoring many a goal – including 12 in 14 World Cup games – and many a great goal at that.

The Brazilian master's total of 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including friendlies, has been recognised as a Guinness World Record.

8. Eusebio

Another indisputable all-time great, Eusebio was also one of the most prolific strikers – thanks in no small part to his turbo-charged right foot.

Top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, where he inspired Portugal to a third-placed finish, O Rei (The King) averaged close to a goal a game across glittering career which saw him win the 1961/62 European Cup with Benfica.

7. Marco van Basten

Marco van Basten's outrageous volley for Holland against the Soviet Union in the final of Euro 1988 is undoubtedly one of the greatest goals of all time – and it was one of more than 300 he scored during an protracted but truly prolific career.

An ankle injury forced Basta to retire at the age of just 28; it's somewhat scary to think what kind of goalscoring numbers he might have put up if not for that.

6. Romario

Romario spent more than two decades terrorising defenders at club and international level, banging in 785 goals in 1,003 games in all.

A World Cup winner with Brazil in 1994, Romario was described as a "genius of the goal area" by his manager at Barcelona, John Cruyff – while Diego Maradona rated him among the very best players he ever saw.

5. Ferenc Puskas

The iconic captain of Hungary's Mighty Magyars, Ferenc Puskas is often considered football's first international superstar.

In 792 career appearances, Puskas – who has been honoured by FIFA with an award in his name – racked up 802 goals – perhaps the two most famous of which came in Hungary's (in)famous 6-3 win over England at Wembley in 1953, the 'Match of the Century'.

4. Gerd Muller

An utter menace in the box, Gerd Muller gave defences nightmares throughout the 1970s – during which we got his hands on every trophy possible with Bayern Munich and West Germany.

Der Bomber finished as top scorer at the 1970 World Cup and 1972 European Championship – as well as averaging almost a goal a game in the European Cup.

3. Erling Haaland

To finish in such prolific fashion in football's highest-quality era ever is no mean feat, but Erling Haaland makes it look like an absolute doddle.

The Norwegian goal machine is never far from breaking one record or another – and he went and smashed the previous single-season Premier League goals total by netting 36 times in his first campaign with Manchester City.

2. Lionel Messi

From the Champions League with Barcelona to the World Cup as Argentina captain, Lionel Messi has won it all – and he seems to have scored against everyone, too.

We've seen dazzling solo efforts, devastatingly precise free-kicks and everything in between from arguably the greatest of all time – who, in the 2011/12 season, bagged an astonishing 73 goals in 60 games for Barca.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

The debate over which of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is the better player will endure until the end of time – but the numbers make Ronaldo's finishing superiority hard to dispute.

Real Madrid's all-time record scorer, the Portuguese icon has amassed over 800 goals for club and country across a 20-year career – and was the first European player to find the net 100 times at international level.