Do you know about the defenders with the most goals in football history? Scoring a goal has always been the ultimate task players put into consideration in every single soccer game.
For the strikers, wingers, and attacking midfielders, this task is not quite heavy for them, especially the strikers. However, defenders are not exempted when it comes to scoring goals although their main job is to partner with the goalie to avoid conceding a goal from the opponent.
Well, some defenders have been scoring goals in soccer official matches, but quite a few of them have scored figures of what some strikers have scored.
You might already be wondering how defenders have bagged goal figures of strikers and which defenders have, hence I will be discussing defenders with the most goals in football history. So, without further ado, let us proceed
Defenders With The Most Goals In Football History
1. Ronald Koeman (253 goals)
Ronald Koeman is a notable soccer player who might not be popular to you but to others.
Koeman obtained a lot of praise in the Netherlands International team and Barcelona with some of this praise coming in after he helped the Catalan win their first-ever European Cup in 1992.
Ronald scored 253 professional goals to be known as the highest goal-scoring defender in football history. The Barcelona legend played as a midfielder also in the final few years of his professional career.
Dating back to Ronald Koeman’s days, he scored 26 goals in a season for PSV Eindhoven and scored 19 goals in two different seasons for the Catalana and was also their set-pieces penalty taker.
2. Daniel Passarella (175 goals)
As a defender, it is quite a difficult task to bag goals in and out before defenders such as the likes of Daniel Passarella saw it as an easy task in soccer.
Daniel is the only South American defender to have scored up to such goals. The Argentine was known for his scoring goal ability more than his defending skills, and that helped him bag 175 professional goals during his active career.
With Argentina, Passarella won the FIFA World Cup twice. He was a 5ft, 8in defender and also a captain. In the 1978 FIFA World Cup, he captained his country to their glory and was part of the 1986 FIFA World Cup winning squad.
3. Fernando Hierro (163 goals)
Fernando Hierro is the all-time highest goal scorer to ever play for Real Madrid, topping Sergio Ramos too.
Fernando Hierro won the UEFA Champions League thrice, La Liga five times, and netted the ball 163 times during his active career days, most of them in a Real Madrid shirt through penalty and freekick.
Judging from his stats, Fernando Hierro is one of the best defenders in Real Madrid’s history even excluding the goals he scored for them.
In his days, Hierro was Madrid’s and Spain’s national team captain and he used his aerial brilliance to help them. Well, Fernando did not just score in Real Madrid and Spain shirts, he also scored while playing for Bolton Wanderers.
4. Laurent Blanc (153 goals)
It is quite shocking how Laurent Blanc who was a defender with 84 goals is the all-time highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 side Montpellier and the 4th highest goal-scoring defender in football history with 153 goals.
Laurent Blanc played for Barcelona and Inter Milan, and Manchester United. He began his career as an attacking midfielder but later fell back as a sweeper.
On the national and international stage, Laurent Blanc was a regular and perfect set-piece taker.
5. Graham Alexander (130 goals)
Graham Alexander is a Scottish legend, a high-quality defender who scored 130 goals in his active career days, and is now considered the top 5th goal-scoring defender in football history.
He has featured for Burnley, Scunthorpe, Luton, and Preston North End as a defender, and most of his goals came in from penalties.
Graham Alexander was amazing as he also scored from counter-attacks, unlike other defenders. Although the Scottish defender was clinical with the ball in the goalie’s box, he never netted the ball once for his nation.
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6. Sergio Ramos (127 goals)
In the list of top 10 defenders with the most goals in football history, all of them have hung their boots except for Sergio Ramos who just left PSG and is trying to secure a move to Inter Miami.
As a Real Madrid legend, Sergio Ramos has scored 127 goals in his career with most of them coming from penalties. The Real Madrid player established himself as a notable defender after he won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain.
Ramos was always there to play for Madrid’s batch through thick and thin. He was given the role of the first penalty taker in Real Madrid following Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Juventus.
Moreover, he played a crucial role in their 2014 and 2016 Champions League victory over local rivals, Atletico Madrid.
7. Steve Bruce (113 goals)
Steve Bruce who is currently Newcastle United’s coach played for Manchester United, Gillingham, Norwich City, Birmingham, and Sheffield United and bagged 113 goals as a defender.
He knew how to score goals, and he did it regularly.
Bruce was one of the earliest goal-scoring defenders in England with his famous goals coming in as a Red Devil player. One of them was against Sheffield Wednesday in the 1992/93 season where he bagged a brace to give Sir Ferguson’s side, Manchester United their first title in 26 years.
Moreover, two seasons later, Steve Bruce set an English record for scoring 19 goals in all competitions.
8. Paul Breitner (113 goals)
Just like Steve Bruce, Paul Breitner scored 113 goals for Germany and Bayern Munich. Well, Breitner became a midfielder later on in his active career.
As an active player, Paul Breitner played for Germany and Bayern Munich just like every top German player would do. Paul was seen shining through in his career in the 1970s as he scored his remarkable 113 goals during this time.
Despite converting to a midfielder, Paul Breitner still scored wonderful goals as a defender, and he deserves the praise.
9. Roberto Carlos (113 goals)
Be it online, soccer fan or so, you have heard of Roberto Carlos if you are a soccer fan. Arguably, Roberto Carlos is one of the greatest Brazilian players to grace the pitch.
Roberto Carlos is naturally a defender but the way he scores from freekicks might make you think he is a forward or an attacking midfielder.
Roberto Carlos is regarded as one of the greatest attacking full-backs of all time, and despite being a defender, he bagged 113 goals in his active career.
At Real Madrid, Carlos scored over 70 goals for them in more than 500 appearances. He was a regular set-piece taker in his national team.
10. Franz Beckenbauer (109 goals)
If you love football, you should also love Franz Beckenbauer, I guess. Franz Beckenbauer is one of the earliest goal-scoring defenders in soccer, joining Steve Bruce on the list.
The Former FIFA World Cup winner and one of Germany’s finest was indeed a sweeper, and he knew how to go through it without facing consequences from referees.
Franz Beckenbauer scored 109 goals in his active career. For Bayern Munich, Franz Beckenbauer scored 64 times in over 400 appearances and also scored 14 goals for his national team.