And let’s be honest, the idea of “700 goals” sounds almost absurd when you say it out loud. That changes everything when you actually break down what it means — 700 times, a player had to outmaneuver defenders, beat a goalkeeper, and do it in high-pressure environments. We're far from it if we’re talking casual Sunday league numbers. This is war by inches, season after season.
The Rare Air of 700: What It Takes to Join the Club
Scoring 700 goals is like running a marathon uphill while juggling knives — you need stamina, precision, and a little bit of madness. Most elite strikers peak in their late 20s, then slowly erode. The thing is, reaching 700 means you can’t afford a slow fade. You have to stay relevant, fit, and lethal for 15, sometimes 18 years. And that’s where most fall off.
Take Cristiano Ronaldo. His first goal for Sporting CP came in 2002. His 700th? October 2019, for Juventus against Udinese. Eighteen years of relentless output — across four countries, five clubs, and 20 major competitions. He didn’t just score goals. He reinvented himself: from flashy winger to aerial monster to clinical penalty-box predator. His physique at 39? Looks like it was forged in a lab. But it’s not just genetics. It’s obsession — 300,000 euros spent annually on personal training, recovery, and diet.
Then there’s Lionel Messi. Debuted for Barcelona in 2004. Hit 700 in August 2020 against Villarreal — a cool, curled finish, typical. His journey was less about physical transformation, more about evolution. A player so in tune with space and timing that defenders were often reacting to where he’d been, not where he was. His 700 goals came almost entirely from one club — a feat that seems impossible in today’s transfer-driven game.
But what about the others? Bican and Romário. They’re often left out of casual conversations. Why? Because their numbers weren’t logged under today’s scrutiny.
Josef Bican: The Forgotten Goal Machine
Active from 1937 to 1958, Bican played in an era without satellite broadcasts, no official UEFA records, and inconsistent competition tracking. Yet, according to RSSSF (Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation), he scored 805 goals in 530 matches. That’s an average of 1.51 per game. Try wrapping your head around that. Modern analysts debate the validity — many of those games were friendlies or wartime tournaments. But even conservative estimates put him over 700 competitive goals.
He played for clubs in Austria, Czechoslovakia, and briefly in Brazil. His style? Ruthlessly efficient. No step-overs, no TikTok tricks. Just timing, positioning, and a cold-eyed focus. In 1940, he scored 85 goals in 57 appearances. That’s not a typo. Eighty-five.
Romário: The Master of Minimal Effort
Romário hit 700 goals around 2007, though exact counts vary. What’s undeniable is his sixth sense in the box. The guy barely ran 60 minutes a game — and still terrorized defenses. Played in seven countries, won a Ballon d'Or, and scored in four decades (1980s to 2010s). His 1994 World Cup performance? Five goals, minimal touches, maximum impact. “Be like water,” he once said. “Find the gap.”
And that’s exactly where people don’t think about this enough — scoring isn’t always about volume of play. For Romário, it was about economy. One touch. One shot. One goal. He scored 76 goals in 70 Brazil caps, many of them in tight knockout games.
How Are Goals Counted — And Why It Gets Messy
Here’s the catch: there’s no universal governing body that certifies career goal tallies. FIFA doesn’t maintain a master list. So who decides? That depends. Some statisticians count only league and international matches. Others include friendlies, wartime games, and even exhibition matches against club B-teams.
For example, Pelé’s 1,283-goal claim? It includes 757 official matches and 526 friendlies. If we strip away unofficial games, his total drops to around 757. Close, but not quite the mythical thousand. So when we say “700 goals,” we have to ask: 700 in what context?
The generally accepted standard — used by IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) and major media outlets — includes domestic leagues, domestic cups, continental competitions (like the Champions League), and full senior internationals. Everything else? Omitted. (Though some historians still argue about regional tournaments in Brazil and Austria during the 1940s.)
And here’s a twist: Messi’s 700th goal came from a free kick. Ronaldo’s from open play. Bican’s? Probably another routine header from a cross. But the method doesn’t change the math — only the lens through which we view it.
Modern Strikers vs. Legends: Can Anyone Catch Up?
Let’s look at the current crop. Erling Haaland? 200+ goals by age 24. Insane pace — 0.89 goals per 90 minutes in Europe’s top leagues. If he maintains that until 35? He’ll hit 700. But that assumes no injuries, no decline, no dip in form. And we know how fragile that is. See: Owen, Michael. One hamstring tear at 26, and the trajectory crumbles.
Robert Lewandowski — 587 official goals as of 2024. At 35, he’d need 113 more. Possible? Yes. Likely? Only if he plays four more seasons at 25+ goals per year. Tough ask. Karim Benzema? 435. Great, but he’s 36. Time is not kind to strikers.
That said, Haaland’s physical profile is terrifying. 1.94 meters tall, 88 kg, 44-inch vertical leap. He combines speed, strength, and precision like a prototype athlete. But because injuries are unpredictable, because motivation fades, because clubs rotate squads more than ever — the modern game may actually make it harder to reach 700.
Back in Bican’s day, players stayed at one club for life. Today? A top striker changes teams every 3–4 years. Each move resets chemistry, systems, and expectations. And that’s not even counting the mental toll.
Ronaldo vs Messi: The 700 Race and What It Revealed
From 2015 onward, fans tracked every goal like stock prices. “Ronaldo at 680, Messi at 678.” It became a real-time rivalry metric. Ronaldo hit 700 first — September 22, 2019. A free kick against Ukraine. Messi followed a year later, in a La Liga match. No fanfare. Just another day at the office.
Yet their paths diverged wildly. Ronaldo: 700 goals across 879 games. Messi: 700 in 820 games. Slightly more efficient. But Ronaldo has more Champions League goals (140 vs 129), while Messi has more league goals (496 vs 405). Each built a legacy in different ecosystems — La Liga’s dominance vs. Europe’s volatility.
And here’s a thought: did the pressure of the 700 race change their playstyle? Ronaldo took more long shots, more penalties. Messi drifted deeper, became a playmaker who still scored. But because the spotlight was so intense, every miss was magnified. That changes everything when you’re trying to maintain peak performance under a microscope.
Can Women Reach 700 — And Are We Counting Right?
Christine Sinclair has 190 international goals — more than any male player. But her club appearances? Limited by league access and pay gaps. If she’d played in Europe’s full-time pro leagues from 2000 onward, could she have reached 700? Possibly. But women’s football has fewer games per season, less media tracking, and inconsistent records.
As a result: no female player is remotely close to 700 official goals. The issue remains — not talent, but opportunity. Less funding, fewer matches, shorter careers. So while the men’s 700 club is tiny, the women’s version doesn’t even exist yet. That’s not a failure of players. It’s a failure of structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first player to score 700 goals?
Josef Bican likely reached 700 by the early 1950s. But due to incomplete records, Cristiano Ronaldo is often cited as the first with verified 700-goal status — achieving it in 2019.
Does Cristiano Ronaldo still play for the 700+ club?
As of 2024, Ronaldo has over 850 official goals — still active in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League. He’s not just in the 700+ club. He’s rewriting its ceiling.
Are exhibition goals counted in the 700 tally?
No. Reputable sources like IFFHS and FIFA exclude friendlies and exhibition matches. Only competitive senior appearances count — leagues, cups, internationals.
The Bottom Line
So how many players have 700 goals? Four. Maybe five if you stretch definitions. But honestly, it is unclear whether future players will ever match this. The game is faster, more physical, more scrutinized — yet careers are shorter. Haaland might come close. But one thing’s certain: scoring 700 goals isn’t just a number. It’s a monument. A lifetime’s work etched into football’s foundation. And I find this overrated only in the sense that we focus on the stat, not the sacrifice behind it. You don’t just score 700 goals. You bleed for them.