VANGUARD
Over the last fifteen years or so, Ronaldo and Messi have shared a rivalry so close. Both of them won numerous trophies, scored goals, assisted goals, carried their teams on their backs, and all other things expected of a world-class footballer. Without a doubt, both of them are widely regarded as the two greatest players to have ever graced the sport.
Most notable is the number of goals they have scored in their careers. While Ronaldo boasts of a whooping 900 goals, Messi’s is an equal-crazy 839.
However, there are debates that a few players have scored more than these numbers in their careers. The numbers might have gone unrecorded because of the inadequacy of records and data at that time.
It is why a football body known as Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) has ranked Ronaldo and Messi as fourth and fifth-placed, respectively, after three other players.
Let’s take a look at them:
3. Ronnie Rooke
Ronnie Rooke’s name might sound totally strange compared to other legendary classic players who have played in the Premier League. But the truth is that the forward played for English clubs such as Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Fulham and a host of others between 1929 to 1961.
Across these years, he was recorded to have scored over 900 goals in 1030 appearances.
2. Joseph Bican
Unlike Rooke, a normal football lover would have heard of the legend of Joseph Bican. He was rated alongside the likes of Brazilians Pele and Romario in terms of goalscoring.
RSSF estimates that Bican actually scored more than 700+ goals, approximating a figure up to 950 goals.
1. Erwin Helmchen
Just like Rooke, who could have thought this unfamiliar name would be topping the chart, according to RSSSF?
Helmchen played most of his career football for PSV Chemvnit and scored more than 450 goals in just 232 appearances. The German striker would then go on to score more than 980 goals in a total of 582 appearances, his career spanning between 1924 and 1951.
