Players like Rooney, Suarez and Lewandowski are world-class strikers who are capable and consistent in kicking the ball into goal. However, many great goalscorers also have moments of duding, and few players are able to maintain goal efficiency.
In his last Champions League match, Messi scored a fantastic debut goal against Manchester City for Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 718 goals in 889 games between club and national teams, an amazing achievement that is one of the best achievements in the history of modern football, with only Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 771 goals in 1030 games between club and national team.
Despite Messi's brilliant achievements, he averaged only 0.8 goals per game, which is not the best goal efficiency in football history, and Cristiano Ronaldo's goal rate is slightly lower than Messi's (0.75 goals per game). Although these two athletes are the best goalscorers of the century, they will hardly match players in history who have averaged more than one goal per game.
So, who is the player with the highest goal ratio in the history of football?
10. Eusebio: 0.9 goals per game (Portugal)
Long before Cristiano Ronaldo appeared in world football, Portugal had a prolific and mysterious world-class goalscorer, Eusebio. Nicknamed "Black Panther", he is known for his skilful style of play, speed of movement, but what amazes Portugal and the rest of Europe is Eusebio's ability to score goals.
The legend scored 41 goals for Portugal in just 64 games and pushed Portugal to third place at the 1966 World Cup. In his 15 seasons with Benfica, he scored 473 goals in 440 games. If he ends his career at Benfica, Eusebio will average more than 1 goal per game.
However, the legendary Portuguese star eventually left to play for seven other clubs and his goal-scoring ability declined with age.
9. Pele: 0.91 goals per game (Brazil)
There's a lot of controversy about how many goals Pele has scored and how many games he's played. It was reported that 1281 goals were scored in 1363 matches, and these figures also include unofficial matches.
According to the Sports Football Statistics Foundation, the Brazilian legend scored 775 goals in 840 official club matches, which, combined with his statistics in Brazil, played a total of 932 games and scored 852 goals. Known for his unique style of play and precise shots, Pele is considered one of the greatest footballers in the history of sport.
He led Brazil to two consecutive World Cups and a third world cup in 1970. Pele has countless individual and team accolades, so it's no surprise that he appears on this list.
8. Gad Müller: 0.99 goals per game (West Germany)
Gad Müller began his career in 1861 at Nordlingen, joining Bayern Munich in 1964 and quickly propelling them to the top of the German top flight in one season. He scored 39 goals in his first season. Müller's goals helped Bayern win the Champions League three times in a row, and the legend's goal-scoring ability at Bayern Munich was enormous, scoring 563 goals in 605 games he played for the club.
His goal numbers for the national team are even better, with the star scoring 68 goals in 62 games and a World Cup winner. Gad Mueller scored 772 goals in just 778 games.
7. Puskas: 0.99 goals per game (Hungary)
Considered one of the best players in the history of sport, Puskas is Hungary's goal machine that swept Europe in the '40s, '50s and even '60s. The star played for 13 years in his home country, where he won 5 league titles and scored 383 goals in 367 games.
Joining Real Madrid at the age of 31, the Hungarian has no downward trend. In fact, his influence at the Bernabeu made him a legend of the White Army. In Spain, Puskas scored 242 goals in 262 games.
He enjoyed his 8 years with Real Madrid, a team that won 10 trophies, including five consecutive La Liga titles. In the national team's stats, the star has scored an incredible 709 goals in just 714 games.
6. Jimmy McGrory: 1.009 goals per game (Scotland)
The 'Human Torpedo', named for its powerful header ability, is the greatest goalscorer in the history of Scottish football. Just 1.7 metres tall, Jimmy McGrollry has an inhumane shooting eye and is the lethal incarnation of the 18-yard penalty area.
During his 15 years with the Celtics, including a season on loan to Clydebank, the legendary striker scored 538 goals in 534 games and won more than 15 trophies for the club. While his goals for the Celtics were huge and record-breaking, McGrory made just six appearances for Scotland and scored seven goals.
The star was overlooked, underestimated, and eventually overlooked by the national team during his career. In national team and club matches, McGroughley scored an incredible 545 goals in 540 games, cementing his position as one of the top scorers in football history.
5. Bernabe Ferreira: 1.04 goals per game (Argentina)
Ferreira, known for his precision, horror and powerful shots, is the only player in Argentine history to average one goal per game. Notably, Bernabee Ferreira played only 12 seasons and spent his entire career in Argentina.
During that time, he was influential and eventually retired at the age of 29. After three years with the Tigers, the Argentine legend moved to River Plate for £23,000, a world record at the time.
His career at River Plate has made Ferreira even stronger, scoring 206 goals in 197 games of his career, 187 of which were with River Plate, where he spent seven years. Although he was very disappointing when he represented Argentina in international competitions, he is still the best goalscorer in the history of argentina.
4. Imre Schlosser: 1.24 goals per game (Hungary)
With four days to go before his 17th birthday, Imre Schlozer made 155 appearances for Feren valossi, scoring an incredible 258 goals. He played for the club for 11 seasons.
After that, the Hungarian legend moved to three other clubs and eventually returned to Feren Valossi. Schlosser played 320 league games in his career, scoring a total of 417 goals.
While his league stats are accurate, figures for cups and other events are controversial. However, according to RSSSF statistics, Schlosser made a total of 458 appearances and scored 569 goals. In his 23-year career, the legend has won a total of 13 Hungarian league trophies for two different clubs.
3. Franz Binder: 1.32 goals per game (Austria)
There is no doubt that Bimbo is the most prolific goalscorer in Austrian history. Franz Binder dedicated his 18-year career to the Vienna Swift, where he played in 242 league games and scored a staggering 267 goals. His official stats are still controversial, as Binder claims he has scored more than 1,000 goals in just 756 games. However, these figures include unofficial matches.
According to RSSSF's official figures, he scored 569 goals in 430 games, although it is believed that Binder has scored more goals than that. Internationally, he scored 26 goals in just 28 games. Franz Binder has won 8 trophies in his career, including 4 Austrian titles.
2. Josef Birken: 1.52 goals per game (Austria)
Joseph Birken is considered the most prolific goalscorer of the 20th century, and his goal record and game record are currently controversial. RSSSF counted 948 goals in his 621 games, while FIFA identified only 805. Either way, the numbers are pretty crazy.
Although Birken played for 9 clubs during his career, his most famous period was spent in Slavia Prague. The star scored 427 goals for Slavia in just 221 league games, averaging 1.9 goals per game in the league!
1. Fernando Peroteo: 1.58 goals per game (Portugal)
Portugal legend Fernando Peroteo has scored 544 goals in 334 games, cementing his position as the most goalscoring and consistent goalscorer in history, scoring 15 goals in 20 international matches.
Despite scoring 43 goals in his final season at the club, the legendary goalscorer, then 31, decided it was time to hang up.
Peroteo won 11 titles, an average of one a year. But it is Peroteo's epic goal average record that makes him a legend at the club, and it is estimated that it is difficult for current players to achieve such goal efficiency.