In brief
Although they aren’t usually praised for their goal-scoring prowess, many defenders have started to score game-winning goals in the last second or by showing up with a penalty or free kick when their team most needs it.
Defenders praised for their natural ability to score goals include former Real Madrid players Sergio Ramos and Roberto Carlos.
Although the position of a defender has evolved significantly from being merely a goalmouth guard due to the sport’s constant growth, the new breed of free-scoring defenders was made possible by stars like Franz Beckenbeaur.
In a world where strikers and midfield virtuosos are constantly surrounded by praise, there is a line of players who have historically been marginalized but have gloriously defied expectations: our beloved defenders. Known for protecting the goalmouth, these unwavering titans have occasionally advanced to leave their mark on the annals of goal scoring.
The defender’s job in football was traditionally quite simple in leagues like the Premier League, Champions League, and La Liga: neutralize the strongest threats from the opposition and uphold the defense’s integrity. The roles that players usually played, however, evolved along with football over the years. Full-backs are no longer only the rear guard; they now also overlap, help create build-up plays, and occasionally cut inside to score an unexpected goal. Not only can central defenders protect the penalty area, but their aerial skills have also made them set-piece experts and valiant ball headers.
This list of the best goal-scoring defenders in football history includes both players who are actively playing now and legendary players from the past.
10Roberto Carlos – 113 goals
Carlos had a very successful football career, playing for teams like Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He is regarded as one of the best left-backs in football history. When given the opportunity to try to score, he frequently had a crack and was lethal from free kicks. He whacked the ball as hard as he could with his straightforward set pieces style. During his career, he scored an astonishing 49 goals from free kicks. But he only loses out on a list of football players who have scored the most goals from free kicks in history.
Group
Objectives
Real Madrid
69
Fenerbahce
10.
Corinthians
5.
Milan Inter
7.
Makhachkala Anzhi
5.
The Palmeiras
6.
Brazil
11.
The sum
113
9Paul Breitner – 113 goals
During his football career, Breitner played for Eintracht Braunschweig, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. Between 1970 and 1974 and 1978 and 1983, he played for the former, for whom he scored the great bulk of his goals. He is one of just four players to have scored in two World Cup finals (1974 and 1982) and scored ten goals for West Germany. His distinctive lamb-chop sideburns and afro haircut have earned him the moniker “maverick and a great pretender” in the past.
Breitner’s skill was undeniable; few players have had the opportunity to win both the European Cup and the World Cup in a short period of time, and he belongs to an extremely select group of players who have won significant trophies for both their club and their nation.
Group
Objectives
The Bayern Munich
83
Real Madrid
10.
The Braunschweig Eintracht
10.
Germany
10.
The sum
113
8Steve Bruce – 114 goals
Steve Bruce was a superb defender who also enjoyed scoring goals, which he accomplished 114 times in his football career. Before joining Manchester United in 1988, the Englishman began his career with Gillingham and later played for Norwich City. He scored 52 goals with the Red Devils and finished as their top scorer with 19 goals in the 1990–91 campaign.
Bruce briefly played for Sheffield United and Birmingham City after leaving United in 1996 before hanging up his boots in 1999. Bruce had a very successful career, contributing to both offense and defence, but regrettably, he never played for England. Because he is without a doubt one of the Premier League’s top defenders ever.
Group
Objectives
The Gillingham
38
City of Norwich
21
United Manchester
52
City of Birmingham
3.
United of Sheffield
0
The sum
114
7Graham Alexander – 130 goals
Many people consider Alexander to be among the best penalty takers in football history. According to the Manchester Evening News, the Scottish defender, who played for a number of teams, including Scunthorpe United, Luton Town, Preston North End, and Burnley, converted 77 of the 85 penalties he took during his illustrious career, giving him an outstanding success rate of over 90%. Interestingly, throughout his 40 appearances for his country, Alexander did not score a penalty despite his exceptional skill from the penalty spot.
Group
Objectives
North End of Preston
65
Burnley
24
Town of Luton
17
Scunthorpe
24
The sum
130
6James Tavernier – 139 goals
Because of his quiet profile, James Tavernier frequently goes unnoticed, but considering that he plays with some of the best defenders in football history, his goal return should not be disregarded. The Gers’ captain, who frequently sets an example, has surpassed all expectations since arriving at Ibrox in 2016 after signing for a pittance of £200,000, as evidenced by his goal total.
The fact that he has never been chosen to represent England at the international level, despite his valiant efforts for his club, may surprise some. Some football fans nationwide are baffled as to why. However, with his Rangers contract expiring in 2026 and his age of 33, it becomes less probable that he will fulfill his desire of playing for England. The British defender with the most goals, Tavernier, is committed to continuing to score and rising in the rankings.
Group
Objectives
The Rangers
130
United Rotherham
5.
United Carlisle
0
Wigan Sports
0
City of Bristol
3.
FC Gateshead
0
Wednesday in Sheffield
0
Newcastle United
0
M.K. Dons
0
Town of Shrewsbury
0
The sum
138
5Sergio Ramos – 145 goals
There is no need to introduce this man. The only active players in the top 10 are Tavernier and the great Sergio Ramos. In addition to being among the players with the most red cards in history, the Spanish center-back scored 23 goals for his nation and found the net 101 times for Real Madrid.
Ramos is currently playing in Mexico after a protracted absence from the game, and his time with Monterrey has been, to put it mildly, eventful. The Spaniard has scored five goals in his first ten games for his new team, which is a goal-scoring average that even a true center-forward would not be sniffing at. He has also already been sent off.
Group
Objectives
Sevilla
10.
Real Madrid
101
Saint-Germain, Paris
6.
CF Monterrey
5.
Spain
23
The sum
145
4Laurent Blanc – 153 goals
Blanc continues to be Montpellier’s all-time top scorer with 80 goals. For the French team, he scored more than ten league goals in four different seasons. His finest season was 1986–87, when he scored 18 goals in 34 games. After a brief stint with Manchester United, Blanc went on to play for a number of elite teams, including Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, and Inter Milan, until hanging up his boots in 2003. In his 94 national team appearances, the Frenchman also scored 16 goals and was a key contributor to his nation’s 1998 World Cup victory.
Blanc was instrumental in that competition, scoring the first-ever golden goal in World Cup history during the Round of 16 match against Paraguay. Unfortunately, after getting sent out for slapping Slaven Bilić in the semi-final match against Croatia, he would go on to miss the final. Blanc’s international career included more than just the red card. At the Stade de France in Paris, France defeated Brazil 3-0 to win the World Cup for the first time despite Blanc’s absence.
Group
Objectives
Montpellier
80
Milan Inter
6.
Marseille
19.
United Manchester
4.
The Saint-Ettiene
17
Barcelona
One
Napoli
6.
Auxerre, AJ
4.
France
16
The sum
153
3Fernando Hierro – 163 goals
The fans at the Santiago Bernabeu still admire Fernando Hierro, who is without a doubt a real Madrid legend. He contributed significantly to the team’s success and played much of his career in the capital city of Spain. But he also played for other teams, including Bolton Wanderers, Al-Rayyan, and Valladolid.
Hierro’s ability to score from penalties, free kicks, and set pieces was one of his best qualities. He was a continual danger to opposing teams because of his unparalleled accuracy and precision. He really became one of Real Madrid’s all-time leading scorers with a total of 127 goals. Hierro scored an outstanding 53 goals for the team over a three-season span from 1991 to 1994.
Group
Objectives
The Valladolid
3.
Real Madrid
127
Al-Rayyan
3.
Wanderers of Bolton
One
Spain
29
The sum
163
2Daniel Passarella – 175 goals
Despite being only five feet eight inches tall, Pasarella had an incredible football career and became one of the finest center-backs of all time. He scored goals for River Plate 101 times, demonstrating his prolific nature as a goal scorer in addition to his heroics as a defender. In addition to leading Argentina to World Cup success in 1978 and playing for their winning team in 1986, Pasarella scored a lot of goals for Fiorentina and Inter Milan while playing football in Italy. Before a particular Barcelona great surpassed him, he was the highest-scoring defender in football history.
Group
Objectives
Sarmiento
9.
Plate of Rivers
94
The Fiorentina
35
Milan Inter
15.
Argentina
22
The sum
175
1Ronald Koeman – 253 goals
In any football-related context, scoring 253 goals is an amazing accomplishment, but for a defensive-minded player, it’s nothing short of spectacular. While playing for clubs like Groningen, Ajax, and PSV in his native country, the Dutch maestro made a lasting impression on football history. The European powerhouses were drawn to his ability to score goals. When Koeman moved to Barcelona in 1989, everyone was expecting him to succeed. He delivered, scoring an incredible 88 goals in just six seasons. His memorable goal in the 1992 European Cup final is by far the most memorable of those goals.
In a match that was close against a tenacious Sampdoria team, Koeman came through when it counted most, scoring a thrilling late winner that is still shown on highlight reels today. His status as one of the best players to have ever played for Barcelona was solidified by this.
Group
Objectives
Barcelona
90
PSV Eindhoven
63
Ajax
31
The Groningen
33
The Feyenoord
22
The Netherlands
14
The sum
253
Football’s Top 10 Highest-Scoring Defenders
Rank
The player
Objectives
1.
Koeman, Ronald
253
2.
Passarella, Daniel
175
3.
Hierro, Fernando
163
4.
Blanc, Laurent
153
5.
Ramos, Sergio
145
6.
Tavernier, James
138
7.
Alexander Graham
130
8.
Bruce Steve
114
9.
Breitner, Paul
113
10.
Carlos Roberto
113
xz
