Have any soccer players scored 1,000 goals?

For all the focus on in-game statistics and advanced metrics, soccer remains a game defined and decided by a single currency: goals.

Over the course of the 150-year history of the game 24 players are recognised to have scored more than 500 competitive career goals, an astonishing milestone that makes them bona fide legends.

At the top of the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, who is currently on 899 career goals ahead of the September international break. With his next goal he will become the first player to reach 900 goals. Close behind is his eternal rival, Lionel Messi, with 838 goals in his stellar career.

There are four active players to have reach the 500-goal landmark. Alongside Ronaldo and Messi, Robert Lewandowski (634 goals) and Luis Suárez (578) are also a part of that illustrious club.

How many goals did Pelé score?

Ronaldo and Messi are the only names ahead of Pelé, the iconic Brazilian who led his nation to three World Cup triumphs. Named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999, Pelé held the title of soccer’s leading scorer for more than 40 years before being overtaken by CR7.

Each player’s goal tally is chronicled by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), which acts as soccer’s global record-keeper. They include only competitive fixtures for recognised teams and national sides in their database but Pele, along with many others, have scored many more goals across their entire career.

Including friendlies and touring games, Pele holds the Guinness World Record for Most Career Goals. He is credited with 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including a frankly absurd 126 in the year 1959.

It has been claimed that another Brazilian, Artur Friedenreich, scored 1,329 goals between 1909 and 1935. However these games were often undocumented and only 354 are recognised by the IFFHS.

Making comparisons between eras is a difficult and thankless task. Comparing the validity of fixtures a century apart is essentially impossible and ignores the sweeping changes seen in soccer across the ages. What is clear, however, is that all of the players mentioned are very deserving of their place in soccer’s folklore.