5 South Americans with the most Bundesliga goals
The Bundesliga has seen its fair share of world-class forwards and perhaps a lot of underrated South American goal-scorers too.
A league that has a history of promoting their own talent, the top-scoring list, unsurprisingly, has a lot of Germans.
Top five South American goal-scorers in the Bundesliga:
In recent years, the Bundesliga has seen an increasing influx of South American talent, especially some underrated players in the 2000s decade. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the top five South American goal-scorers in the Bundesliga:
#5 Marcelinho Paraiba – 79 goals
One of the best players to play for Hertha Berlin, Marcelinho Paraiba had a long career that stretched from 1990 when he made his debut for Brazilian side Campinense
Paraiba played for Brazilian third-tier side Treze FC at the age of 45 before retiring last year. An attacking midfielder who could also play as a forward, the Brazilian scored 77 goals in the Bundesliga.
Although his goals came for two teams – Hertha Berlin and Wolfsburg -- it is his spell with Hertha that earned him greater recognition.
He had a good record for the team, scoring 79 goals in all competitions. His form in 2002 almost helped him make the Brazilian team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Not bad for a player Hertha signed for just £6.3 million in 2001!
Eventually, he missed out because of a certain Ricardo Kaka, who was only 20 at the time but was a precocious talent.
#4 Raffael – 82 goals
Raffael had two good spells in the Bundesliga, first with Hertha Berlin and then with Borussia Monchengladbach, scoring a cumulative 82 goals in the competition.
The Brazilian’s best spell was perhaps at Borussia Monchengladbach, where he was a key part of Lucien Favre’s team. Gladbach played some fluid football under the Swiss manager, with Raffael adding a bit of pizzazz and flair to the Monchengladbach attack.
A player who was easy on the eye, Raffael had it all; he could play a sumptuous pass to a teammate or produce an unerring finish when he had the chance.
In three consecutive Bundesliga campaigns, Raffael scored more than ten goals in a season, helping Monchengladbach return to the Champions League after a hiatus.
The latter stages of his career at Borussia Monchengladbach was hindered by injuries. The 35-year-old is currently without a club.