Messi moves up to third on all-time goalscorer list

The rivalry between the Argentinean and the Portuguese is already inked in the annals of sporting history as one of the greatest contests of all time. Although both are entering the final stretch of their careers, they continue to deliver. Ronaldo leads the scoring table with 815 career goals, a figure that will continue to rise as it seems the Portugal captain is in no rush to hang up his boots, even if he would rather be anywhere than at Manchester United at the moment.

Messi, meanwhile, did not hit the heights that have become so standard throughout the Argentinean’s career during his first season at PSG, scoring just 11 times as he adapted to a new league and his role in a side led by Kylian Mbappé, but under Christophe Galtier PSG’s front three seems to have clicked, bagging 17 in three Ligue 1 fixtures to date. If anything, it is surprising Messi has not helped himself to more but his current remit is to provide for Mbappé, who scored a hat-trick against Lille. Still, at PSG’s rate of scoring, it seems likely he could exceed Bican’s career tally this season. Then the title of the greatest scorer of all time will be a straight contest between Messi, 35, and Ronaldo, 37.

All-time list of football top scorers

– Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 815 goals

– Josef Bican (Austria/Czechoslovakia): 805 goals

– Lionel Messi (Argentina): 773 goals

– Romário (Brazil): 772 goals

– Pelé (Brazil): 767 goals

– Ferenç Puskas (Hungary): 746 goals

– Gerd Müller (Germany): 735 goals

– Eusébio (Portugal): 631 goals

– Robert Lewandowski (Poland): 601 goals

– Ferenc Deák (Hungary): 576 goals

This article originally appeared in AS