Top 10 Goalkeepers With the Most Goals in Football History

Even though they are regarded as a special breed of players in all corners of the footballing world, it's safe to say that the goalkeepers who ever scored a goal remember it better than all or most saves they made. But then there is a unique cohort of goalies for whom goal scoring is almost a week-in-week activity. Hence, these top 10 goalkeepers with the most goals in football history have the bragging rights for goalscoring over most midfielders and defenders. Even some strikers.

We are taking a look at the best of the goalscoring goalkeepers. Not just the ones who provided security in front of their own posts, but those who were a danger in front of their opposing colleagues.

A look down at our list of the best goalkeeping scorers in history will prove a lot about the differences in footballing cultures. As the majority of the goalscoring goalies come from Latin America. It's clearly a more fertile area for unusual risk-taking and deviance from the norm.

It's worth noting that an insignificant amount of the top 20 goalkeepers with the most goals in history come from the Balkans though. With three coming from the Yugoslav school of football. However, we start with a man coming from a country known for sticking to the way things ought to be done.

#10 Hans-Jorg Butt (Germany) - 33 goals from 1994 to 2012

By Frank Schwichtenberg - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

He might not be the most well-known name on the list, yet Hans-Jorg Butt perhaps performed at the highest level out of all these goalscoring goalies! As of the 33 total goals he scored with gloves on, Butt scored 26 of them in the Bundesliga! Playing for German giants like Hamburger SV, Bayer Leverkusen, and Bayern Munich even! With five games for Benfica in one season. The now 49-year-old even got four caps for Germany, with the strong competition that the country had in that period.

While he did play for Bayern, the Bavarian machinery didn't allow for much tomfoolery and he scored only one goal for FCB. Bagging in 20 for HSV, and eight for Bayer Leverkusen. Butt scored goals in lower leagues as well, with all the goals coming out of the way of penalties. Beating his colleagues in a man-on-man action. Bott scored three penalties in the Champions League as well, as many as he has finals in the competition.

#9 Fabio Rampi (Brazil) - 35 goals from 2008 and counting!

The only one of the top 10 goalkeepers with most goals in football history who is still competing! Technically, Fabio Rampi can still climb on this list as he is only 34. Another key aspect of why goalkeepers who score goals can make even outfield players blush. They simply play for much longer. Fabio however has an asterisk next to his inclusion on the list as he has played mostly for lower-tier clubs, in the state championships and in the fourth and third national. However, it's still a testament to his composure to get the opportunity to take his penalties, in a team full with outfield Brazilian players.

#8 Fernando Patterson (Costa Rica) 35 goals from 1989 to 2013

While he played for clubs that most football fans would have a tough time pronouncing, let alone recognizing, Fernando Patterson is an interesting inclusion on the list. Not only because he signed for one club, Xelaju, on five different occasions. But also because he switched positions and played some games of his career as a striker. So not many of his goals were scored as usual in this story - via penalties. Patterson can still be regarded as a high-level footballer even without the "schtick" as he has one cap for the common World Cup participant Costa Rica.

#7 Marcio (Brazil) - 40 goals from 2002 to 2019

By Ag?ncia Atlético Atlético Clube Goianiense from Goiania, Brasil - Márcio, CC BY 2.0, Link

Yet another Brazilian who scored enough to find himself among the top 10 goalkeepers with the most goals in football history. While Marcio played mostly in the third, fourth tier and in state championships, he did manage to build his career to Serie A. Playing in over 500 games for Atletico Goianiense, the now 42-year-old scored 37 goals for his long-time club. He scored a few free kicks in his time, but the majority of his goals came from the penalty spot.

#6 Dimitar Ivankov (Bulgaria) - 42 goals from 1996 to 2012

By Biser Todorov - Own work, CC BY 4.0, Link

One of the two lone representatives of Europe amongst top 10 goalkeepers with the most goals in football history. Dimitar Ivankov played for Levski Sofia in his home country, Turkish sides Kayserispor and Bursaspor, and he represented his country 64 times! However, all of his goalscoring came in club football. Overall, the IFFHS has him listed as the sixth-highest-scoring goalkeeper, with all of his goals coming the way of penalties.

#5 Rene Higuita (Colombia) - 43 goals from 1985 to 2009

Autor Isolinamajul - Vlastito djelo postavljača, Javno vlasništvo, Poveznica

Not the best one amongst the top 10 goalkeepers with the most goals in football history, but certainly the most recognizable. With his curly wig-like hairstyle, usually blonde, Rene Higuita would be hard to forget even if he didn't score goals or make scorpion kick saves, but he did both. Most of his goals came from penalties, but the Colombian also bagged seven free kick goals, as well as one long-range open-play effort from his own box! Most of the goals he scored came in the Colombian first tier and the Copa Libertadores, but Higuita scored three goals in his 68 appearances for his country.

Higuita changed a lot of clubs during his time and he hasn't scored for only two of the 11 clubs he represented.

#4 Johnny Vegas Fernandez (Peru) - 45 goals from 1997 to 2017

Another representative of South America amongst the best scoring goalies, and another player who reached the national team of his country, playing three games though. The GK with a shorter height than what's usual for goalies, even in Peru, at 178 centimetres, had to both make up for where he's lacking and live up to that name. He scored 40 goals in the first division of his country. One in the Copa Sudamericana, and four goals in the second division. Vegas scored both penalties and free kicks as only the best scoring goalkeepers can. Or must to crack the top five.

#3 Jorge Campos (Mexico) - 46 goals from 1988 to 2004

Autor Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, Poveznica

Another goalkeeper that should be known to most football fanatics who are battling at least one or two grey hairs. Jorge Campos' career is impressive simply because he played in 129 games for Mexico. Yet, he wasn't allowed to showcase his goalscoring magic in international football. But made up for it in club football. Campos was so eager of first-game football that he was willing to switch up the position to a striker early on and performed wonders.

Even though he is one of the shortest footballers (at 168 cm) who ever performed at a top level, let alone goalkeepers, Campos managed to have a tremendous career in his native Mexico. Playing a bit in LA Galaxy as well. For many of his goals, he started the game as a GK, only for the replacement goalkeeper to step in his place as Campos would venture forward. Most of his goals, 43, were scored for PUMAS.

#2 Jose Luis Chilavert (Paraguay) - 67 goals from 1982 to 2004

By Unknown author - El Gráfico sports magazine, Public Domain, Link

While most of the top-scoring goalkeepers mastered penalties, Jose Luis Chilavert was perhaps even better from a free-kick situation! The left-footed juggernaut is in the record books alone as he is the only goalkeeper to score a hat-trick in one game! He is also one of the few goalkeepers we have on this list who has managed to pull his magic in the less-forgiving international football. Scoring eight goals in 74 matches for Paraguay, three from free-kicks. In club football, Chilavert scored 17 goals via free kicks, with the rest coming from penalties, besides two goals from open play.

#1 Rogerio Ceni (Brazil) - 129 goals from 1990 to 2015

We talk about Sergio Ramos as an incredibly high-scorer (justifiably so), but what then we have to say about Ceni with his massive record with gloves on? Ceni has 19 goals scored more than the Real Madrid legend Ramos. In the year 2005, Ceni had a return of 21 goals. A figure that would put him on the level above many top strikers. The Brazilian wonder had four years in which he had double-digit returns on goals.

While Ceni did collect 17 caps for Brazil, it would've been lunacy for him to get to take penalties and free-kicks in the start-studded national team of the 90s and early 2000s. The majority of Ceni's goals (65) did come in the first division of Brazilian football, followed by state championships (38), and continental competitions (18).

The first six of his goals came by the way of free kick, and that was Ceni's most lethal weapon. He can be regarded as one of the best free kick takers in general, regardless of the position. Ceni leads the goalkeeping record books for both free kick goals (59), and penalties (69). On penalties alone, he would have a higher tally than Chilavert. Cementing his place as one of the top 10 goalkeepers with the most goals in football history.