Long-time superstars and rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, today, are the two players who have scored the most goals in the history of international football, but could you guess who joins them in the top-five list?
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Since turning out for Portugal for the first time in 2003, in a 1-0 win over Kazakhstan in a friendly in which he replaced the legendary Luis Figo, no player has scored more times on the international stage than Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner and UEFA Champions League winner has struck 127 goals for his country in 203 appearances, and it seems he'll be given time to add plenty more to his tally under new manager Roberto Martinez!
The 38-year-old, who now plies his trade for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, scored four times for A Selecao over this international break as he helped his compatriots qualify for a place at the 2024 UEFA European Championship. But Ronaldo isn't looking to just score the goals that'll ensure their spot in the competition, he is still confident he can produce the goods at the tournament next year despite what happened to him under Fernando Santos at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In fact, a recent report claimed Ronaldo is even hoping to represent his country at the World Cup in 2026, in one final effort to match Messi's Qatar achievement last year.
Speaking of Argentina's captain, he currently trails Ronaldo's 127 by 21 goals. Messi, since his debut for the South American giants in 2005, has netted 106 times in 178 outings for the reigning world champions. While many would've been aware of his enormous talent as he was coming through the ranks, his first appearance for the Albiceleste's senior team was one to forget – or, depending on how you view it, one to remember! Messi was actually sent off less than two minutes after coming on as a substitute against Hungary, a moment the other player, Vilmos Vancian, who managed to milk the flailing arm of the still then-teenager gets asked about to this day. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has gone on to achieve special things in the sport, and there is little doubting his ambition to continue scoring for Argentina on the big stage, even at 36 years old.
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With 93 goals for India, 39-year-old striker Sunil Chhetri follows Messi in third place, with the forward having been a consistent performer for his country since 2005. United Arab Emirates legend Ali Mabkhout, meanwhile, is tied in fourth place, on an impressive 81 goals, Poland's Robert Lewandowski.
Here are the five leading active goalscorers in international history:
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