Argentine sensation Lionel Messi has played his final match with Albiceleste, scoring a goal and providing two assists in a 3-0 win over Benin at the Estadio Mâs Monumental. Following one of the best individual campaigns ever witnessed at a FIFA World Cup, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner announced his retirement from the national team.
He, however, returned to Argentina to sign out in front of the home fans in Buenos Aires, marking the occasion with his 126th international goal. He not only leads the scoring charts for his country, but is also the South American player with the most national team goals.
BolaNews unveils the list of players with the most international goals on each of the six Fifa-sanctioned continents.
UEFA: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 146 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo has tallied an astounding 146 goals in 234 international matches for Portugal. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s bullet header against Morocco at the 2018 FIFA World Cup saw him surpass Ferenc Puskas as the European player with the most national team goals after reaching 85 goals.
He has not looked back since and went for the Guinness World Record for the most international goals ever by a men’s player. Ronaldo successfully broke the record, then held by Iran’s Ali Daei, with a goal against the Republic of Ireland during a World Cup preliminary which took his tally to 110.
The Real Madrid icon still holds the world record to date and continues to extend it at 41 years old. He has enjoyed a successful career with Selecão, guiding them to an unprecedented UEFA European Championship title and two UEFA Nations League crowns.
CONMEBOL: Lionel Messi (Argentina): 126 goals
With his goal against Benin, Messi leaves the Albiceleste with 126 goals in 208 matches across the 21 years he represented them.
21 of those goals have come in the FIFA World Cup, a competition the player has absolutely dominated. At FIFA World Cups, Messi has the second most goals (21) as well as the most assists (12), appearances (34), Golden Ball awards (2), chances created and successful dribbles.
His crowning moment came in 2022 in Qatar, when he finally secured the FIFA World Cup trophy that eluded him. A year prior, with a hat-trick against Bolivia, Messi broke Pele’s record for the most international goals by a South American player, eclipsing the Brazilian’s tally of 77.
AFC: Ali Daei (Iran): 108 goals
The Iranian icon was the first player in football history to cross the 100 goal mark for international goals. He achieved the feat in 2004 when he netted four goals during a 7-0 win over Laos in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
He held that distinction for over 16 years before Ronaldo and Messi joined him in the centurions club.
On September 1, 2021, Ronaldo broke his Guinness World Record for the most international goals, surpassing Daei’s tally, who scored 108 goals in 148 matches for Iran. When the Portuguese star equalled the record at the UEFA Euro 2020 three months earlier, Daei congratulated him, saying he was ‘honored’ that Ronaldo is the player that matched that feat.
CAF: Godfrey Chitalu (Zambia): 79 goals
While the African continent has been graced by some global superstars like Samuel Eto’o, George Weah, Didier Drogba, Rashidi Yekini, Hossam Hassan, the record for the most international goals on the continent belongs to Godfrey Chitalu.
The legendary striker scored 79 goals in 111 matches for Zambia from 1968 to 1980. He was a reliable marksman for the Zambian national team, fondly known as the KK11 at the time, and played a key role at the 1974 AFCON where Zambia reached the final in their debut tournament.
CONCACAF: Stern John (Trinidad and Tobago): 70 goals
In North and Central America, Trinidad and Tobago icon Stern John holds the record for the most international goals by a CONCACAF player. He amassed 70 goals in 115 matches for the Southern Caribbean island country.
Stern inspired Trinidad and Tobago to their first ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup with his goalscoring feats during the qualifiers for the 2006 edition. He played all three group matches in Germany.
During an international friendly against India in 2011, Stern became the first player from the confederation to score 70 or more goals for their country.
OFC: Roy Krishina (Fiji): 47 goals
Roy Krishina has scored an impressive 47 goals in 68 matches for Fiji, making him the highest international goalscorer in Oceania.
At the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, Krishna netted Fiji’s first-ever goal in the competition during a 5-1 defeat to Mexico.
In 2023, he surpassed Chris Wood of New Zealand and Commins Menapi of the Solomon Islands to become the confederation’s highest-scoring player at national team level.
