Football
Best Headers in Football: Ronaldo & All-Time Greats Ranked
Heading the ball is extremely difficult because it requires a lot of coordination, precision and, of course, composure. Unlike dribbling or shooting, a header is much more difficult because the one who has this task is attacked with the elbows of the opponents. Some players rise above the defenders, and even from the most unexpected positions, they still manage to head the ball. Mastering this quality requires more than just height; it requires instinct, strength and a talent for reading the trajectory of the ball before anyone else does.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal competes for a header whilst under pressure from Robin Hranac of Czechia//Getty Images
Over the decades, there have been a few players who have been truly sensational at heading. The way Cristiano Ronaldo rises above the pitch is something magnificent, as if he levitates. Jimmy McGrory and Dixie Dean have been like mountains in their era. Gerd Müller was the player who was always in the right place at the right time, while Santillana terrorised defences with those headers. These footballers were true superheroes; they flew above the ground and kicked the ball with incredible precision.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Best Headers in Football
This evaluation combines the statistical record of headed goals with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking of football's greatest aerial specialists.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis from the top 7 football and sports media sources measures how prominently each player is featured in discussions of the greatest headers of all time.
| Source \ Player | Cristiano Ronaldo | Jimmy McGrory | Gerd Müller | Santillana | Dixie Dean |
| Wiki – “Most headed goals all-time” leaderboard | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Pulse Sports – top headed goals list | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| FoottheBall – “Most headed goals” ranking | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| SportsDigest – “Most headed goals” summary | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| HitC – “7 Best Headers of All Time” (Santillana) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Guardian – Ronaldo’s heading artistry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rediff – Ronaldo the “greatest header” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
SB Score
| Player | Header Goals | SB Score |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 155 | 1.000 |
| Jimmy McGrory | 147 | 0.948 |
| Gerd Müller | 144 | 0.929 |
| Santillana | 128 | 0.826 |
| Dixie Dean | 125 | 0.80 |
This score is calculated based on the total number of headed goals scored by each player throughout their career (100% weightage). The raw stats are used to calculate the final SB Score.
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 1.000 | 6 | 5.000 |
| 2 | Santillana | 0.826 | 5 | 4.165 |
| 3 | Gerd Müller | 0.929 | 4 | 3.386 |
| 4 | Dixie Dean | 0.806 | 3 | 2.561 |
| 5 | Jimmy McGrory | 0.948 | 2 | 1.790 |
Cristiano Ronaldo: The King of Aerial Dominance
Cristiano Ronaldo is by far the best header. With 155 headed goals, more than any other player in history, and six mentions in elite football publications, he sits comfortably at the top of our SB Market Index. And it's not hard to see why. Ronaldo has turned headers into something almost supernatural.
What sets Ronaldo apart from the rest is not just the number of goals he has scored, but the way they have been scored. The Portuguese star has scored from every position with his head, even in the most important matches, including finals. And not just against small players, but in the most important moments, against the best defenders in the world. Ronaldo can call himself the master of heading.
The Specialists: Santillana, Müller, and Dean
While Cristiano Ronaldo takes the lead, behind him are Santillana, Gerd Müller and Dixie Dean. These three forwards were not only prolific headers but also pioneers in how headers could define the attacking role.
Santillana, Real Madrid's silent assassin, was famous for his explosive vertical leap and impeccable timing. With 128 headed goals and five special mentions, he ranks second in our SB Market Index. Although shorter than most centre-backs, he managed to surpass them in height with his technique.
Gerd Müller, the West German 'Bombardier', amassed 144 headed goals and is just behind Ronaldo in SB Score. His method was simple: finding the right space and taking action when needed.
And then there's Dixie Dean, he's the one who probably invented the header used by strikers, until then it was played a lot on the ground, but Dean made the header something necessary for a top striker and differentiated himself from the others.
The Historical Giants: A Nod to McGrory
Jimmy McGrory may not be a household name to today’s football fans, but his numbers speak louder than anything. With 147 headed goals, McGrory has the second-highest SB Score in our rankings, an incredible feat considering he played almost a century ago. For Celtic, he was a force to be reckoned with in the aerial duels.
So why isn’t he more widely celebrated in today’s debates? The answer probably lies in time and visibility. McGrory’s heyday was in the 1920s and 1930s, long before TV and TikTok. Without modern footage or coverage, his legacy has faded from mainstream memory, especially outside Scotland. Unlike Ronaldo or Müller, whose headers are immortalised in HD, McGrory lives on in the memory of Scottish fans.
Conclusion on Football's Greatest Headers
When it comes to heading, Cristiano Ronaldo is the clear leader. Ronaldo was simply lethal, and it helps that we have a clear memory of the Portuguese superstar. The SB Score and Industry Insights statistics show that he is indeed a true master of the heading.
While Ronaldo has his own aura when it comes to heading, there are other names who have dominated the technique. Santillana's skills, Gerd Müller's ruthless positioning, and Dixie Dean's somber style have each created a unique path to greatness. And Jimmy McGrory, often overlooked in today's discussions, remains one of the most devastating headers of all time, statistically.
Each of these legends ruled the skies in their own era, under different rules, balls, and conditions. Together, they tell the story of a skill that can be an extremely important asset to any team.
With a strong background in journalism and years of experience in sports commentary, Dragoș Șoneriu has written about every aspect of sport, from match reports and features to tactical analyses and investigative pieces. A lifelong Arsenal fan, he dreams of seeing his beloved team lift the Premier League trophy. Outside of work, Dragoș collects anything football-related, from stickers and mugs to vintage shirts and scarves.