- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2004–active
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 99.0
- Dominance
- 98.0
- Statistics
- 99.0
- Honours
- 97.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
GOAT Rank · 161
Greatest Football Forwards of all time
This ranking is led by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Marta Vieira da Silva. GOAT Rank currently ranks 161 eligible Football forwards using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Quick answer
According to GOAT Rank's current model, Lionel Messi ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 97.0.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2002–active
- Country
- 🇵🇹 Portugal
- Peak
- 95.0
- Dominance
- 94.0
- Statistics
- 97.0
- Honours
- 93.0
- Longevity
- 99.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2002–active
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 97.0
- Dominance
- 96.0
- Statistics
- 96.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 94.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1956–1977
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 97.0
- Dominance
- 96.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 95.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1964–1984
- Country
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- Peak
- 95.0
- Dominance
- 94.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 93.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1945–1966
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 94.0
- Statistics
- 93.0
- Honours
- 93.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1939–1961
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 95.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1943–1966
- Country
- 🇭🇺 Hungary
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 96.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1987–2004
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1969–1990
- Country
- 🏴 Scotland
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 96.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1985–2009
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2009–active
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2011–active
- Country
- 🇸🇳 Senegal
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 89.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2000–2023
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 94.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1991–2006
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2008–active
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 87.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2000–2016
- Country
- 🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1985–2000
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1987–2001
- Country
- 🇳🇴 Norway
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1990–2006
- Country
- 🇨🇳 China
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1941–1958
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 95.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1994–2017
- Country
- 🏴 England
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1960–1979
- Country
- 🇵🇹 Portugal
- Peak
- 91.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 93.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1975–1996
- Country
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1969–1990
- Country
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2014–active
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1993–2010
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2002–2019
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2006–active
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1927–1947
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1981–1999
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 85.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2011–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2011–active
- Country
- 🏴 England
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1971–1989
- Country
- 🇦🇹 Austria
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 89.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 85.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1937–1959
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2011–active
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 91.0
- Dominance
- 85.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2009–active
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 91.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1949–1967
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2008–active
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1984–2003
- Country
- 🇧🇬 Bulgaria
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1996–2009
- Country
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1959–1976
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 85.0
- Statistics
- 85.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 85.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2017–active
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 75.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1994–2014
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1946–1961
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1956–1974
- Country
- 🏴 Scotland
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1979–1995
- Country
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2004–2021
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 89.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1968–1984
- Country
- 🏴 England
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2012–active
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 2004–active | 97.0 |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 2002–active | 95.5 |
| 3 | Marta Vieira da Silva | Football | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2002–active | 95.0 |
| 5 | Pelé | Football | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 1956–1977 | 94.2 |
| 8 | Johan Cruyff | Football | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 1964–1984 | 92.9 |
| 9 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1945–1966 | 92.9 |
| 11 | Ángel Labruna | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1939–1961 | 92.1 |
| 16 | Ferenc Puskás | Football | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 1943–1966 | 91.8 |
| 18 | Mia Hamm | Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1987–2004 | 91.4 |
| 19 | Kenny Dalglish | Football | 🏴 Scotland | 1969–1990 | 91.4 |
| 30 | Romário | Football | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 1985–2009 | 90.1 |
| 31 | Antoine Griezmann | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 2009–active | 90.1 |
| 35 | Sadio Mané | Football | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 2011–active | 89.8 |
| 39 | Christine Sinclair | Football | 🇨🇦 Canada | 2000–2023 | 89.7 |
| 40 | Tiffeny Milbrett | Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1991–2006 | 89.6 |
| 50 | Jenni Hermoso | Football | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2008–active | 89.2 |
| 51 | Perpetua Nkwocha | Football | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 2000–2016 | 89.2 |
| 57 | Michelle Akers | Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1985–2000 | 89.0 |
| 58 | Linda Medalen | Football | 🇳🇴 Norway | 1987–2001 | 89.0 |
| 60 | Sun Wen | Football | 🇨🇳 China | 1990–2006 | 88.9 |
| 62 | Norberto Méndez | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1941–1958 | 88.9 |
| 75 | Kelly Smith | Football | 🏴 England | 1994–2017 | 88.7 |
| 87 | Eusébio | Football | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 1960–1979 | 88.2 |
| 91 | Pia Sundhage | Football | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1975–1996 | 88.2 |
| 96 | Oleg Blokhin | Football | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 1969–1990 | 88.1 |
| 104 | Ousmane Dembélé | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 2014–active | 87.7 |
| 106 | Marinette Pichon | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 1993–2010 | 87.7 |
| 120 | Anja Mittag | Football | 🇩🇪 Germany | 2002–2019 | 87.4 |
| 125 | Eugénie Le Sommer | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 2006–active | 87.3 |
| 129 | Giuseppe Meazza | Football | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1927–1947 | 87.2 |
| 140 | Gianluca Vialli | Football | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1981–1999 | 87.1 |
| 144 | Christen Press | Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 2011–active | 87.0 |
| 145 | Beth Mead | Football | 🏴 England | 2011–active | 86.9 |
| 152 | Hans Krankl | Football | 🇦🇹 Austria | 1971–1989 | 86.8 |
| 154 | Fritz Walter | Football | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1937–1959 | 86.7 |
| 155 | Paulo Dybala | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 2011–active | 86.7 |
| 156 | Debinha | Football | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2009–active | 86.7 |
| 164 | Raymond Kopa | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 1949–1967 | 86.4 |
| 173 | Thomas Müller | Football | 🇩🇪 Germany | 2008–active | 86.2 |
| 176 | Hristo Stoichkov | Football | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 1984–2003 | 86.2 |
| 178 | Victoria Svensson | Football | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1996–2009 | 86.2 |
| 179 | Amancio Amaro | Football | 🇪🇸 Spain | 1959–1976 | 86.2 |
| 194 | Vinícius Júnior | Football | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2017–active | 85.9 |
| 195 | Thierry Henry | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 1994–2014 | 85.8 |
| 206 | Giampiero Boniperti | Football | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1946–1961 | 85.6 |
| 208 | Denis Law | Football | 🏴 Scotland | 1956–1974 | 85.6 |
| 212 | Igor Belanov | Football | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 1979–1995 | 85.6 |
| 222 | Lisa De Vanna | Football | 🇦🇺 Australia | 2004–2021 | 85.5 |
| 227 | Kevin Keegan | Football | 🏴 England | 1968–1984 | 85.4 |
| 229 | Kadidiatou Diani | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 2012–active | 85.4 |
Compare the leaders
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano RonaldoRead the full methodology
Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.
Read the full methodologyFrequently asked questions
How is this ranking calculated?
Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Who is included?
According to GOAT Rank's current data model, only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible. Rank and score are read live.
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