Another record for Cristiano Ronaldo. This one should remain particularly significant in the annals of football. The Manchester United striker became the top scorer in history on Saturday March 12, 2022, according to the count made by the International Football Federation (Fifa). Author of a hat-trick against Tottenham in the victory of the Red Devils (3-2) in the Premier League, “CR7” brought his total of goals in official matches (clubs and selection combined) to 807.
Josef Bican, a Czechoslovak player in the first half of the 20th century, was until now the record holder. With 805 achievements, the former glory of Slavia Prague was considered in 2020 as the “best scorer of all time” by Fifa. This title can now be stored in the archives.
This classification is however still debated, both by its honorary weight and by the difficulty of being able to establish a sufficiently precise and exhaustive historical hierarchy. Fifa does not officially engage in an updated count, leaving a veil of uncertainty for a long time on the holder of this coveted status. Moreover, the Czech Federation itself asserts that Bican scored 821 goals.
The best goalscorer in football history?
The History and Statistics committee of the Czech FA counted all the goals scored by the legendary Josef Bican and we can declare he scored 821 goals in official matches.
Jaroslav Kolář, the Head of the committee shares more details. pic.twitter.com/eYqTcGJf1p
— Czech Football National Team (@cekarepre_eng) January 21, 2021
Several players have self-proclaimed themselves top scorers in history. Pelé claims to have scored 1,283 career goals and presents himself on his social networks as the leader of this ranking. This total could never be verified, since it would include many achievements registered during unofficial meetings, in particular in Brazil. His total is regularly lowered to 767 goals according to several authentic sources, including Fifa. His compatriot, Romario, assures him that he has concluded his career with his 1,000th goal, but sees wide in this count since it takes into account those registered in the youth categories or even during gala meetings.
Other organizations try on their side to cross-check as many sources as possible to establish an order without discussion. According to research by the Rec Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation, which intends to offer a historical ranking, the record holder is actually the German Erwin Helmchen, with at least 987 goals from 1924 to 1951, notably with PSV Chemnitz and Energie Cottbus. He is ahead Josef Bican with at least 950 achievements. Cristiano Ronaldo is in fourth position (821 goals).