Ranking the 10 players with the most goals in the 21st century
A plethora of prolific goalscorers have graced the game since the turn of the century, scoring goals and winning trophies galore for club and country.
Most of these players are potent goal threats in the attacking third. In other words, when they are not scoring goals, they often conjure goalscoring opportunities aplenty for teammates. Moreover, their versatility upfront makes them indispensable for club and country.
So without further ado, let's have a look at the ten most prolific goalscorers, some of whom are still active, since the turn of the century.
NOTE: All stats are as per transfermarkt.com unless mentioned otherwise.
#10 David Villa - 386
Despite his diminutive stature, David Villa was one of the standout strikers in the game.
In a decorated career with both club and country, the 39-year-old won three league titles, one Champions League, one European Championship and the FIFA World Cup.
Villa, who had a fruitful stint with La Liga giants Barcelona, top scored for Spain in their triumphant campaign at Euro 2008 and is his country's all-time top scorer with 59 goals in nearly 100 appearances.
David Villa enjoyed his most productive spell with Valencia, netting 125 goals before retiring from the game in 2019 while playing for Japan's Vitesse Kobe.
#9 Samuel Eto'o - 408
Samuel Eto'o is arguably the best African player of all time. played for a plethora of clubs but had his most productive spell at Barcelona.
After failing to break into the Real Madrid first team, Eto'o first made his name as a prolific goalscorer at Valencia before hitting dizzying heights at Barcelona. He was the only player to win successive continental trebles. Eto'o achieved the feat with Blaugrana in 2008-09 before repeating the feat a season later with Inter Milan.
In addition to his exploits in club football, Eto'o was also a standout performer in international football, scoring a record 59 goals for Cameroon.
#8 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar - 408
Like Eto'o, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has also scored 408 goals for club and country since the turn of the century. But the Dutchman is ranked higher on the list because he scored his goals in 67 fewer games than Eto'o (805).
The 37-year-old has played in four different leagues but enjoyed his most prolific stint with Ajax, scoring 158 goals. The three-time Dutch League winner was the top scorer for Schalke 04 in the 2011-12 Bundesliga with 29 goals.
Earlier this year, Huntelaar joined a handful of active players to score 400 goals for club and country.
The Dutchman has also been a prolific scorer for the Netherlands, scoring 42 goals, with arguably his most important strike coming in Oranje's Round-of-16 win over Mexico at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where Huntelaar struck the winner.
#7 Edinson Cavani - 409
Edinson Cavani has been a prolific scorer in both club and international football. After making his name at Palermo, Cavani excelled for Napoli before becoming the all-time top scorer for French giants PSG.
The Uruguayan arrived in the Premier League last season and registered a decent tally of 17 goals in all competitions to help Manchester United finish second in the league and reach the Europa League final. Cavani recently notched up his 400th goal for club and country.
One of only two Uruguay players to score 50 goals, Cavani (52) has also been a standout performer in international football.