Football history and present have witnessed many skilful and formidable goalscorers. Many great footballers play for their country and represent the country, but only a few can make a distinct difference and win the match. Football fans are always in search of accomplished players and there is an abundance of them. Many footballers started their journey at a very young age and some of them even achieved a lot in their careers. Here is a list of the top 510 footballers who have scored the most goals in football by the age of 21.

1. Ronaldo Nazario | 167 goals in 185 games

The youngest Ballon d'Or winner in football history and arguably the greatest No. 9 in football history, Ronaldo Nazario is the player with the most goals scored in football by the age of 21. Ronaldo by 21 had scored 167 goals in just 185 games playing for Brazil and clubs like PSV Eindhoven, FC Barcelona, Cruzeiro and Cruzeiro. 

Ronaldo started his career in Brazil and gradually came through the ranks after scoring a lot of goals. He then joined PSV and FC Barcelona before joining Inter Milan, where he won his first of two Ballon d'Or awards. Ronaldo went on to win two FIFA World Cups with Brazil. However, he never won the UEFA Champions League as a player. 

Read Also: 5 Youngest Ballon d'Or winners in football history

2. Neymar Jr. | 140 goals in 220 games

If anyone came close to the skills of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the modern era, it was Nyemar Jr. Playing for Santos in Brazil, Neymar made a name for himself with his dribbling skill and goal-scoring ability. Neymar before turning 21, scored 140 goals in just 220 games playing for Santos and Brazil. He then went on to join FC Barcelona and created the most prolific trios of football with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. With FC Barcelona he won every possible trophy there was to win for the Spanish team. Moreover, he then went on to win the Gold medal for the Brazil team in the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

Read Also: MSN vs BBC: Rivalry of football's greatest trio in stats

3. Erling Haaland | 118 goals in 167 games

The next footballer on this list with 113 goals in 164 appearances by the age of 21 is Erling Haaland. The 21-year-old is regarded as one of the best strikers in the Football world and no wonder why he is credited so. The youngster is well known for his strength, agility, and vigour on the field. In the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he was the winner of the tournament's Golden Boot by making a record scoring 9 goals in a single match. After this, he made his senior debut in the Norway football team in September 2019. His first senior International goal was against Austria in the year 2020-2021 UEFA Nations League B. 

In his club career, Haaland first came through the ranks of the Norweigan football system and then enriched his skill in Germany where he first joined RB Salzburg and then Borussia Dortmund. Right after turning 21, he joined Premier League giant Manchester City and won the treble with the club in the 2022/23 season.

4. Kylian Mbappé | 116 goals in 199 games

Kylian Mbappe has taken football to another level in the past few years. He creates a new record in the world of football every time he steps on the field. In 2017, he made his senior debut for the French team and since then he has not looked back. He is a World Cup winner with France and became the youngest French footballer to score a goal at the World Cup. Also, he is the second teenager after Pele to score a goal in a World Cup final. The end of the tournament was the best for him as he finished it by becoming the joint second-highest goal scorer and also received the Best Young Player and French Player of the Year awards. He made his debut at 18 years of age and within 21 years of age, he scored a whopping 118 goals in 199 appearances.

Read also: Erling Haaland: Top 10 fastest to 20 UEFA Champions League goals

5. Sergio Aguero | 84 goals in 213 games

Sergio Agüuero, Manchester City's record goalscorer, holds the third position on this list with the most goals in football. In 213 appearances by the age of 21, the Argentina forward player has scored 84 goals. He was the youngest debutant to play for the Primera Division at 15 years and 35 days. He made his debut in the senior Argentina team in 2006. The 33-year-old has played for several clubs in his senior career.

From 2003-2006 he played for Independendiente. His extraordinary performances opened his road to Atletico Madrid in 2006 for a €23 million transfer. From 2007 to 2008, he scored 27 goals in 50 matches, and then he moved on to Manchester City in 2011 and played for a decade over there. In 2021 he transferred to Barcelona. Aguero is Argentina's all-time 3rd-highest goalscorer. He has a Don Balon award, Tuttosport's Golden Boy, and the World Soccer Young Player of the Year in his name as well.

6. Michael Owen | 76 goals in 156 games

Michael Owen, one of the youngest Ballon d'Or winners in the history of football, stormed into the football world with his striking ability for Liverpool FC. Owen joined Liverpool from the youth team in 1997 and had a stellar career there before joining Real Madrid in 2004. At the age of 21, Owen scored 76 goals in just 156 games for Liverpool and England which makes him appear on this list at number six position. Own won the Ballon d'Or award in the 2001 season 4 days after turning 22. 

7. Wayne Rooney | 66 goals in 212 games

One of the greatest Premier League history, Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United from Everton, where he finished his career as a legend. Rooney came through the ranks of Everton Youth Academy and joined the senior team in 2002. At the age of 21, Rooney scored 66 goals in 212 games while featuring for Everton and Manchester United alongside the England National team. Rooney was always told to be the best young player of the era and with his skill and goal-scoring ability, he proved everyone right down the line. 

8. Karim Benzema | 62 goals in 143 games

The 21-year-old Karim Benzema was touted to be one of the best young strikers in football. Then an Olympique Lyon striker scored 62 goals in 143 games and then left the French club to join Real Madrid in 2009 just after turning 22. Benzema in 2008/09 scored 23 goals in 47 games and assisted six times before joining the Madrid giants. 

Benzema went on to become one of the highest scorers for Real Madrid and won the Ballon d'Or once in 2022.

9. Lionel Messi | 51 goals in 140 games

The list would have remained incomplete without the modern-day G.O.A.T of football. Lionel Messi enlisted his name in this prestigious list of most goals in football by the age of 21 by scoring 51 goals in 140 appearances. In the mid-2000s, the Ronaldinho-inspired player joined Barcelona. He scored his first Blaugrana goal against Albacete in May 2005. Little did people know that this player would change football history and emerge as one of the greatest players of all time. At the age of 14, he shifted to Spain to prepare himself for joining Barcelona. Within 3 years of his debut in Barcelona, he established himself as one of the most impactful players in the club.

Read also: 10 biggest and unexpected football transfers of all time

In 2008-09, he played extremely well and helped the club to win the first treble in Spanish football. This win led him to his first Ballon d'Or. The next three seasons were extremely successful for him and he consecutively won 4 Ballons d'Or. Messi went on to win 7 Ballon d'Or awards till now. 

10. Cristiano Ronaldo | 36 goals in 182 games

Right one step below Lionel Messi, one of his biggest rivals, Cristiano Ronaldo is sitting in the 10th position with 36 goals in 182 appearances by the age of 21. It is impossible that there will be a list of top goal scorers and Ronaldo is absent in it. No wonder why he is regarded as one of the greatest goal-scorers and best players of all time. In 2003, he signed a contract with Manchester United after scoring 5 goals for Sporting. He won his FA Cup in his very first season. In 2003, he made his senior debut in the Portugal National Football team.

Read also: Football facts: 10 players who have played most games with Cristiano Ronaldo

Meanwhile, he played for Manchester United from 2003 to 2009 where one of his best seasons was 2005-06. Then 18-year-old scored 9 nine goals and had 7 assists in 33 Premier League games in his first season. With the Five Ballon d'Or award, he is the European player with the most individual awards in football history. 

Let us know in the comments who is your favourite.

Football, the beautiful game, is all about scoring goals and preventing someone from scoring goals. Whoever scores more goals wins a football game; that is why the goal scorers are one of the most important parts of a football team. With Erling Haaland becoming the first since Austria’s Hans Krankl in 1977 to score five goals in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match, the question was raised about who has scored the most goals in an official football match.

Haaland’s five goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers 

Inspired by Haaland’s remarkable accomplishment, scoring five times against Moldova to help Norway win 11-1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, we decided to explore records for goal scorers in official matches.

Haaland, who already shares the record for most goals in a UEFA Champions League game (which we’ll discuss soon), looked dangerous from the start. Despite a cut on his face from a bus accident the previous day, he found the net in the 11’, 36’, 43’, 52’, and 83’ minutes at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion.

But is this the most goals by a footballer in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match? The answer is NO.

Most goals in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match

Australia’s Archie Thompson holds the record for scoring the highest number of goals in a single FIFA World Cup qualifier match.

In the 2002 qualifying match, Thompson scored 13 goals against American Samoa, as the Aussies recorded a 31-0 win, the biggest victory in an international football match ever.

Read Also: FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far.

Has anyone scored five goals in a World Cup match?

Since we are talking about the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, let’s know who has scored the most goals in a FIFA World Cup match.

Actually, only once has someone scored five goals in a FIFA World Cup match. Oleg Salenko of Russia scored five goals in a 6-1 win over Cameroon in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. This is still the record for the most goals scored in a FIFA World Cup match.

Read Also: 10 Footballers Who Retired And Came Back

Most goals in a UEFA Champions League match

Since we were talking about Haaland scoring five goals in a UEFA Champions League match, let’s get to know who has scored the most goals in a UEFA Champions League match.

Paul Van Himst, Gerd Müller, Claudio Sulser, Søren Lerby, Lionel Messi, Luiz Adriano, and Erling Haaland have the record of scoring five goals in a single UEFA Champions League match, which is the highest in the tournament’s history.

Read Also: 11 players who have won the most trophies in football history.

Most goals in an official football match

Now, with any further delay, let’s get into the stat you have come here to know. Who has scored the most goals in a single official match? 

The record we will talk about is obviously taking first-class or fully professional matches for the country or club into consideration.

In Men’s football and overall, Yanick Manzizila of Sweden broke the record for the most goals scored in an official match by a player. Manzilila, in 2014, while playing for a club named Kongo United in the 9th division of Swedish football, scored 21 goals as Kongo United defeated Balrog Botkyrka Sodertalje by 30-0.

In Women’s football, Megi Doçi recently scored 16 goals in the 2024–25 Kategoria Superiore Femra on 16 March 2025. While playing for KFF Vllaznia, she surpassed her previous record of 14 goals as her team defeated KFF Lushnja by 23-0. 

In the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers game against Ecuador, Argentina, and Real Madrid's new star, Franco Mastantuono, did something that no one imagined. In Argentina's 0-1 defeat against Ecuador, the 18-year-old midfielder came out wearing the No.10 jersey, a number that fans associate only with Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi for their great careers with the La Albiceleste.

What happened?

Argentina, who have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and will defend their title in Mexico, Canada and the USA next year, were losing by 0-1 after the halftime.

Nicloas Otamendi's 31-minute last-man foul had already turned the defending champions into a 10-man team. A few minutes later, at the stroke of half-time, Enner Valencia converted the penalty for the home side to give Ecuador a 1-0 lead.

Read Also: FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far

Post half-time, Ecuador was also reduced to 10 men after Moisés Caicedo, the Chelsea star, was shown the second yellow card of the match. That allowed Lionel Scaloni to look for goals and somehow equalise.

At the one-hour mark, the Argentine boss brought Franco Mastantuono from the bench to replace Leandro Paredes.

What happened after that stunned the crowd and everyone watching the match as Mastantuono came out wearing the Jersey No.10 in the absence of Lionel Messi.

Messi, who started with the No.19 jersey for the Argentine senior team, did an outstanding job of justice to the famous No.10 jersey of Diego Armando, who everyone hails as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Which No. Mastantuono wear for Real Madrid?

With Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and other stars being there, Mastantuono had to choose a number like 30 for the Real Madrid team. He was brought to Real Madrid from River Plate with a huge transfer fee of €45.00m, which is one of the highest for a teenager ever.

Read Also: 20 Most expensive teenagers in football transfer history [2025]

Mastantuono, to date, has only played two games for Argentina and has yet to score or assist for the senior team. With Real Madrid, he has appeared only three times so far and has yet to register any goal contributions.

Hello and welcome to another weekend of exciting football. 

This is Barnali Debnath, and tonight, we will bring you all the LIVE updates, scores, news and free commentary of the Real Madrid vs Mallorca match in La Liga 2025/26 at the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.

Real Madrid are currently at number three on the points table and have won their first two games comfortably. Meantime, Mallorca lost to Barcelona in their first match and then drew against Celta Vigo.

So, sit back and relax as Real Madrid look to dominate the newly promoted club, while Mallorca look to make their stay at the league longer.

Enjoy the coverage.

As the most popular sport, football is watched and played by people all over the country, ranging from professional leagues, to youth teams, and even families in their yards. But how much do you really know about your favourite footballers? Do you know many famous footballers actually don't use their real names in their professional careers?

Many footballers' real names are distinctly different from what are effectively stage names they use for their professional careers. Many figures even choose to go by relatively shorter names to make it easier for people all over the world to remember them by.

Let’s go ahead and dive into some real names of famous footballers you probably don't know.

Also Read: 15 football records that might ever be broken

Real Names of Famous Footballers

1. Dele Alli

• Real Name- Bamidele Jermaine Alli

Dele Alli's full name is Bamidele Jermaine Alli. He does not use his full name professionally and instead goes by "Dele Alli". Dele Alli used to be a big name in the round leather game some years back. When he was 20, he was already considered as English football’s biggest rising star.

2. Raphinha

• Real Name- Raphael Dias Belloli

Raphinha's full name is 'Raphael Dias Belloli'. He does not use his full name professionally and instead goes by Raphinha. Raphinha is known for his skills in dribbling, pace, and creativity on the field. He currently plays as a winger for Leeds United in the English Premier League.

3. Moises Caicedo

• Real Name- Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo

Caicedo's real name is  'Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo'. He is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for the English club Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion and for the national team of Ecuador. He is a versatile player with ability to control the tempo of the game.

4. Cole Palmer

• Real Name- Cole Jermaine Palmer

Cole Palmer's full name is 'Cole Jermaine Palmer'. He is regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. The English footballer plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team.

Also Read: Most International Goals by Active Players (2025)

5. Kaka

• Real Name- Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite

Kaka is arguably one of the defining footballers of his generation. The Brazilian was the last player to win a Ballon d'Or before the decade-long duopoly between Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Kaka has several major honours to his name, including a FIFA World Cup, a UEFA Champions League, and an endless list of individual awards.

6. Van Gaal

• Real Name- Aloysius Paulus Maria van Gaal

Van Gaal's full name is Aloysius Paulus Maria 'Louis' van Gaal. To some, He's one of the best managers of the past two decades, willing to sacrifice style for substance and flair for formality. To others, he’s an unnerving disciplinarian, an expert at alienating his players and fans. Whatever side of the fence you fall, few will doubt that Louis van Gaal is one of the most pragmatic managers in the modern game.

7. Fikayo Tomori

• Real Name- Oluwafikayomi Oluwadamilola Tomori

Oluwafikayomi Oluwadamilola "Fikayo" Tomori is an English professional footballer known for his defensive skill as a center-back, currently playing for Serie A club AC Milan and the England national team.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo

• Real Name- Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro

Cristiano Ronaldo aka Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is still plying his trade in the professional game for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. However, he is already considered one of the greatest players of all time. Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards in his illustrious career, which is a record only bettered by a certain Argentine forward.

Also Read: 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in the World [2025]

9. Bukayo Saka

• Real Name- Bukayo Ayoyinka Temidayo Saka

Bukayo Ayoyinka Temidayo Saka is an English professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Premier League club Arsenal and the England national team. He is often hailed as one of the greatest football players in the world. 

10. Lamine Yamal

• Real Name- Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana

Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, also known as Lamine Yamal, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right winger for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. 

11. Pepe

• Real Name- Kepler Laveran de Lima Ferreira

Former Real Madrid star Pepe is quite commonly regarded as one of the best and most aggressive defenders of his time. The centre-back is still playing European football at the age of 38, and put in a string of magnificent displays in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League. The Portuguese rolled back the years against Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus with a breathtaking showing to knock them out of the UCL.

Hello and welcome to Sportz Point's another LIVE blog. 

Tonight we have the Real Madrid vs Osasuna match in La Liga 2025/26 as the 36-time Spanish champions look for a perfect start to the season under new coach Xabi Alonso.

Real Madrid, last season's runners-up in the league, did not have a great season overall under Carlo Ancelotti and will look for a fresh start this season. 

Read Also: Mallorca vs FC Barcelona, La Liga 2025/26 Highlights: Barcelona win by 3-0 against 9-men Mallorca

In the meantime, Osasuna missed Champions League qualification despite finishing well last season. They will hope for a top-five finish this season, and doing well against a team like Real Madrid will do wonders for them.

This is Barnali Debnath, who will bring you all the LIVE updates of the match, including the build and post-match analysis. So, stay tuned and enjoy the coverage.