WITH A TOTAL current tally of 67 goals in 141 appearances, Robbie Keane will be hoping to equal the records of Gerd Müller and Hossam Hassan against Georgia tonight.
However, the Dubliner still has a long way to go to secure the all-time record, as this list illustrates…
13. Hossam Hassan (Egypt) – 68 goals in 176 appearances
Hassan represented Egypt at the 1990 World Cup as well as seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, while also claiming almost 200 goals with nine clubs. He retired in 2007 and is now manager of Al-Ittihad Alexandria in the Egyptian Premier League.
12. Gerd Müller (West Germany) – 68 goals in 62 appearances
A Germany legend, Müller was also prolific in his club career, scoring 398 goals in 453 appearances for Bayern Munich.
11. Kiatisuk Senamuang (Thailand) – 70 goals in 131 appearances
Source: EMPICS SportThe current head coach of the Thailand national team having retired in 2007, Senamuang also had an excellent club career in which he scored over 300 goals, though he had an unsuccessful stint at Huddersfield in 1999, leaving less than a year later after failing to make a first-team appearance.
10. Stern John (Trinidad and Tobago) - 71 goals in 115 appearances
Source: EMPICS SportAn unspectacular player at club level, having spent the majority of his career toiling away in the Championship, John is understandably considered a hero in Trinidad and Tobago owing to his phenomenal goalscoring record at international level.
9. Miroslav Klose (Germany) - 71 goals in 137 appearances
A legend whose retirement led to Robbie Keane becoming the highest active goalscorer at international level, Klose finished his career with Germany fittingly as part of their World Cup-winning squad.
8. Majed Abdullah (Saudi Arabia) - 71 goals in 147 appearances
Source: EMPICS SportThree-time winner of the Asian footballer of the Year, Abdullah was a one-club man who also managed 189 goals in 240 appearances for Al Nassr. 70,000 people attended his farewell match -- a glamour friendly against Real Madrid in 2008. Al Nassr won 4-1, though uncharacteristically, he failed to score.
7. Bashar Abdullah (Kuwait) - 75 goals in 133 appearances
The Kuwait international also inspired his club, Al-Salmiyah, to three league titles, and once scored eight goals in a 20-0 drubbing of Bhutan.
6.Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) - 75 goals in 68 appearances
His 75 goals for Hungary included seven hat-tricks, while he also enjoyed a memorable club career that included 42 goals in 75 appearances for Barcelona.
5. Godfrey Chitalu (Zambia) - 76 goals in 108 appearances
Back in 2012, the Zambian FA famously challenged Fifa's claim that Lionel Messi had secured the record for the most goals scored in a calendar year, insisting Chitalu had a superior record. It's therefore no surprise to learn that Chitalu was also generally quite prolific at international level and went on to coach his country, but died tragically in a 1993 plane crash along with the rest of the Zambia team.
4. Pelé (Brazil) - 77 goals in 92 appearances
Source: AP/Press Association ImagesStill considered the greatest footballer of all time by many people, Pele allegedly scored over 1000 goals in total during his football career.
3. Kunishige Kamamoto (Japan) - 80 goals in 84 appearances
As well as his incredible international tally, he also scored over 200 goals during his club career with Yanmar Diesel, hence Kamamoto is widely regarded as Japan's greatest ever striker.
2. Ferenc Puskás (Spain & Hungary) - 84 goals in 89 appearances
Source: S&G and Barratts/EMPICS SportOne of the greatest players at all time, Puskas scored all 84 goals in his international career for Hungary before going on to make four appearances for Spain in the early 1960s. He is also fondly remembered by Real Madrid fans, managing 156 goals in total for the club.
1. Ali Daei (Iran) - 109 goals in 149 appearances
Source: AP/Press Association ImagesNow a manager of Persian Gulf Pro League club Saba Qom, Daei was a prolific scorer at both club and international level, aside from a disappointing stint in the Bundesliga, as he managed just 12 goals over the course of four years with Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin.
N.B. Hussein Saeed scored 78 goals in 137 apperances for Iraq, though not all of these were officially recognised.
