Most career goals (football) | Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
When
07 September 1956
The most goals scored in a specified period is 1,279 by Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Brazil) (b. 23 Oct 1940), known as Pelé, from 7 Sep 1956 to 1 Oct 1977 in 1,363 games. His best year was 1959 with 126, and the Milésimo (1000th) came from a penalty for his club Santos at the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, on 19 Nov 1969 when playing his 909th first-class match. He later added two more goals in special appearances.
Artur Friedenreich (Brazil, 1892-1969) scored an undocumented 1,329 goals in a 26 year first-class football career, between 1909 and 1935.
The greatest number of goals scored in British first-class football is 550 (410 in Scottish League matches) by James McGrory of Glasgow Celtic (1922-38). The most scored in League matches is 434, for West Bromwich Albion, Fulham, Leicester City and Shrewsbury Town, by George Arthur Rowley (b. 21 Apr 1926) between 1946 and April 1965. Rowley also scored 32 goals in the FA Cup and one for England `B'.
Pelé has been actively involved in leprosy elimination campaigns in Brazil and has done extensive work for children's causes through UNICEF. Since his retirement in 1977, Pele has become an international ambassador for sport, working to promote peace and understanding through friendly athletic competition.
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