In football, it is a very rare occurrence to see a goalkeeper scoring a goal. This is due to the fact that their primary duty is to STOP goals.
It is equally unusual for a goalkeeper to go outside his penalty area and join an attack, as this exposes the goal to long-distance shots.
Most goals scored by ‘keepers came from penalties or free kicks. On rare occasions, goalkeepers score when they join the attack as their team chase a goal to avoid defeat.
In this post, FootballOrbit presents you with the top 10 ‘goalies with the most goals in the history of soccer.
1. Rogerio Ceni (131 goals)
The record for most goals scored by a goalkeeper is held by Rogério Ceni of Brazil, who netted 131 goals.
He also holds the record for the highest number of free kicks by a ‘keeper (61), as well as the highest penalties (69) and most club goals (131).
Ceni scored two goals in a match 5 times during his career.
Most of his goals were scored for Brazilian giants, Sao Paulo, where he won 20 major titles — including 3 Brazilian Leagues, 2 Copa Libertadores and the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup.
Furthermore, Rogerio Ceni was part of the Brazilian squads that won the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, and also took part at the 2006 World Cup.
2. José Luis Chilavert (67 goals)
Apart from his goalkeeping ability, Luis Chilavert was also a free kick specialist and even often took penalties.
The Paraguayan holds the record for the highest number of international goals by a goalkeeper (8).
In 1999, he became the first goalkeeper to officially score a hat-trick in football history while playing for Vélez Sarsfield against Ferro Carril Oeste. He scored all the 3 goals from penalties.
In the 2001 Coupe de France final, Chilavert scored the winning penalty for his club in the shootout victory.
Moreso, while playing with Vélez Sarsfield in 2000; he and Argentine goalkeeper, Roberto Bonano, of River Plate both scored in the same match.
Chilavert once scored a free kick from behind the half-way line against River Plate!!!
3. Jorge Campos (46 goals)
Jorge Campos was renowned for his acrobatic, risky and flamboyant style of goalkeeping, as well as his colourful playing attire.
He was a “sweeper-keeper”, a rare thing during his playing days.
His main strengths as a goalkeeper were his leaping ability, athleticism, speed when rushing off his line, as well as his ability to organize his defense — which enabled him to overcome his short stature.
Interestingly, Campos regularly played as a striker — scoring 35 goals throughout his career.
At times, the Mexican would start a game in goal and later move upfield as a striker in the same match.
4. Johnny Vegas Fernández (45 goals)
Johnny Vegas scored 45 goals during his 13-year career; 30 penalties, 6 free kicks and 9 from open play.
Throughout his career, Fernandez mainly played for Peruvian clubs and amazingly made 14 transfers during his 13-year career!
5. René Higuita (43 goals)
René Higuita is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in football history.
He was nicknamed El Loco (“The Madman”) for his high-risk playing style and his flair for the dramatic.
The Columbian famously made a scorpion kick save against England in 1995.
A scorpion kick is a skill where a player jumps forward, positions his legs over the head and kicks the ball away with the heels.
Higuita’s eccentric playing style saw him often take unnecessary risks. He frequently charges out of the box to anticipate opponents, play the ball out to defenders, go on sensational dribbling runs and even attempt to score goals.
He was a pioneer in the “sweeper-keeper” role and influenced other goalkeepers to take more responsibility for actions outside the box 18.
Furthermore, he was known for scoring directly from free-kicks and penalties — netting 43 total goals in his career.
Higuita was an important member of the Golden Generation of the Colombian national team in the 1990s, making 68 appearances and scoring 3 goals.
6. Dimitar Ivankov (42 goals)
Dimitar Ivankov is the highest goalscoring European goalkeeper ever and the 6th highest of all time with 42 goals.
He played in the Bulgarian and Turkish top flights for most of his career.
7. Márcio (40 goals)
Brazilian goalkeeper, Marcio, scored 40 goals during his career, 37 of which came for Atlético Goianiense.
Marcio played for several Brazilian top clubs in his career.
8. Fernando Patterson (35 goals)
Fernando Patterson played for Guatemalan top flight clubs like Xelajú, Cobán Imperial, Puntarenas and Ramonense.
He scored 35 goals in his career and made just one appearance for the Costa Rican national team.
9. Hans-Jörg Butt (33 goals)
Despite being a goalkeeper, Hans-Jörg Butt holds the record for scoring the highest penalty goals in an European league (26 in the Bundesliga).
He is also the ‘keeper with the most goals in UEFA Champions League history (3).
Butt was famous for often running into the opposing penalty box in an attempt to score whenever his team needed goals.
10. Misael Alfaro (31 goals)
Misael Alfaro is the 10th highest goalscoring ‘goalie ever with 31 goals goals. 11 of his goals were from penalty kicks.
He was forced to retire in 2010 after tragically suffering a serious neck injury during a game against Atlético Marte.
Did you know?
On the 2nd of November 2013, Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begović scored the fastest goal by a goalkeeper in football history (13 seconds).
The record for the longest goal scored in football history belongs to goalkeeper Tom King after he scored from 105 yards (96.01m) for Newport County against Cheltenham Town.
