Football
Top 10 defenders with most goals in football history
This list contains some of the most complete and successful players in football history
Scoring goals is the most difficult task in football. It is very common knowledge that defenders very rarely get on the scoresheet. Defenders often cherish every single goal they score as they don’t know when their next goal may come. But the defenders mentioned on this list have defied norms and have made their mark as the defenders with the most goals in football history.
From scoring headers to free kicks to high-pressure penalties, the players mentioned on this list had it all and can be regarded as some of the most complete players to grace the beautiful game.
Join us as we take a look at the top 10 defenders with the most goals in football history:
List of the highest-scoring defenders in football history
List of the highest-scoring defenders in football history
| Rank | Name | Goals |
| 1 | Ronald Koeman | 253 goals |
| 2 | Daniel Passarella | 175 goals |
| 3 | Fernando Hierro | 163 goal |
| 4 | Laurent Blanc | 153 goals |
| 5 | Sergio Ramos | 140 goals |
| 6 | James Tavernier | 131 goals |
| 7 | Graham Alexander | 130 goals |
| 8 | Steve Bruce | 114 goals |
| 9 | Paul Breitner | 113 goals |
| 10 | Roberto Carlos | 113 goals |
10. Roberto Carlos (113 goals)
Image for Roberto Carlos
Kicking off the list is none other than the Brazilian great Roberto Carlos. Often regarded as the best left back in football history, Carlos had it all. Speed, athleticism, football IQ, tackling and even scoring goals.
Roberto Carlos also scored the most iconic free-kicks in football history, almost defying physics in a 1-1 draw against France. Interestingly, Carlos also had a run as a player-manager with Indian Super League side Delhi Dynamos. Roberto Carlos scored a total of 113 goals through his iconic career.
9. Paul Breitner (113 goals)
Nicknamed the Maverick and a great pretender, Paul Breitner is one of the greatest German centre-halfs of all time. Breitner featured for two of the biggest clubs in the world: Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Breitner scored 10 goals for West Germany, two of which came in two FIFA World Cup finals (1974 and 1982).
He is also only one of the few players to win the European Championship and the World Cup, that too he won in the space of a few months.
Just like Roberto Carlos, Paul Breitner also scored a total of 113 goals in his career.
8. Steve Bruce (114 goals)
Image for Steve Bruce holding the FA cup
While many may remember Steve Bruce as the former Newcastle United, West Brom or Aston Villa manager. But during his playing career, Bruce was a towering centre-back who loved to get on the scoresheet,
Bruce scored an impressive 114 goals in his playing career, 52 of these coming for Premier League giants Manchester United. Interestingly Steve Bruce was the top score for the Red Devils during the 1990-91 season (19 goals). Despite being one of the best defenders of that Premier League era and his impressive scoring record, Bruce never earned any caps for his national side England.
7. Graham Alexander (130 goals)
Graham Alexander is a Scottish defender who scored a total of 130 goals during his playing career. He is regarded as one of the best penalty-takers in football history. Alexander had an impressive 90% penalty conversion rate, scoring 77 goals from 85 attempted penalties.
However, despite earning 40 caps for his national side Scotland, he was never able to score from the penalty spot in international football.
6. James Tavernier (131 goals)
Image for James Tavernier
The Rangers club captain James Tavernier has scored an impressive 131 goals in his career, while primarily featuring as a right-back. He is known for his set-piece ability and calmness from the penalty spot.
Tavernier joined Rangers for a fee of just £200k back in 2016, since then he has led the club to great heights. Tavernier made his name known to the footballing world when he led his side to the 2020-21 Scottish Premiership title. He also led his side to the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League final, unfortunately ending up on the losing side that day to Bundesliga’s Eintracht Frankfurt.
But at the age of 32, Tavernier is still waiting for his first England call-up. He now holds the record for the highest-scoring defender in British football history.
5. Sergio Ramos (140 goals)
Sergio Ramos is not only one of the greatest defenders of all time but also one of the best captains of all time. Ramos spent nearly the entirety of his career in the LaLiga, making a total of 671 appearances for Real Madrid, winning 22 trophies with the club.
Ramos has made a habit of scoring from the penalty spot for his club and country, but he also has a very lethal header. He scored a very crucial headed goal against direct city rivals Atletico Madrid in the 2016 UEFA Champions League final. Ramos is still an active footballer and will be looking to add to his tally of 140 career goals.
4. Laurent Blanc (153 goals)
Many football fans might not realise the fact that Laurent Blanc started his career as an attacking midfielder and later transitioned into a deeper role. The French star played for some of the biggest clubs in the world including FC Barcelona, Napoli, Marseille, Inter Milan and Manchester United.
Interestingly, he still is Montpellier's record goal scorer with 80 goals. Blanc played a key role in France’s FIFA World Cup triumph in 1998 on home soil. He recorded a total of 153 goals in his playing career before retiring in 2003.
3. Fernando Hierro (163 goal)
Image for Fernando Hierro
Sergio Ramos is not the only Real Madrid and Spanish legend on the list of defenders with the most goals in football history, as Fernando Hierro joins him. Fernando Hierro featured both as a centre back and in the centre of midfield when needed. Hierro made an impressive 601 appearances for the Los Blanco, scoring an even more impressive 127 goals.
He ended his career with 163 goals to his name, making him 3rd on our list.
2. Daniel Passarella (175 goals)
Centre backs are normally expected to be quite tall for obvious reasons, but Daniel Passarella in many ways changed that thinking. Standing at just five foot eight inches, Passarella made his name with River Plate in Argentina, scoring an impressive 101 goals for the side.
He led the Argentinian side to the FIFA World Cup triumph in 1978. Later in his career, he scored plenty of goals in the Serie A with Inter Milan and Fiorentina, ending his career with 175 goals to his name.
1. Ronald Koeman (253 goals)
Image for Ronald Koeman
While many modern-day football fans may think of Ronald Koeman as the Dutch manager who has managed the likes of Everton and FC Barcelona. But if we turn the clock back a few decades, Korman was one of the finest defenders in the world, who loved to get his name on the score sheet.
Ronald Koeman recorded a total of 113 goals from the penalty spot in his playing career, while he also recorded an astounding 60 goals from free-kicks. The FC Barcelona legend ended his playing career with 253 goals to his name, a record for any defender in history.
With over a decade of experience in sports writing, Hardik Malhotra has built a distinguished career in the internet industry. His expertise spans across various domains including Art Direction, Web Content Writing, and Content Management, all underscored by a high degree of initiative. Hardik’s passion for sports is reflected in his professional journey and personal interests.