This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, Lionel Messi etched his name in football history by becoming the latest player to score 700 goals or more. The Barcelona forward achieved this feat in a 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou.
Although the result was a draw, the evening was memorable for Messi, who contributed to both goals for the home team. This achievement marked a significant milestone in his career, placing him among the elite group of players who have achieved this feat.
According to ESPNFC, Messi reached this milestone in 862 appearances for club and country, 111 games fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo, who achieved the same figure last year. Despite this, Ronaldo still holds the top spot among the top five active players with the highest number of goals across competitions.
The list of top five active players with the highest number of goals is as follows:
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Juventus): 728 goals (1,005 games)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona): 700 (862)
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, AC Milan): 540 (907)
- Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Barcelona): 472 (637)
- Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich): 466 (697)
