IFFHS World's Best International Goal Scorer
The IFFHS World's Best International Goal Scorer is a football award given annually since 1991 to the world's top international goalscorer in the calendar year. The award is given by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).
| Sport | Association football |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best international goal scorer of the calendar year |
| Presented by | International Federation of Football History & Statistics |
| History | |
| First award | 1991 |
| Editions | 33 |
| First winner |  Jean-Pierre Papin |
| Most wins |  Cristiano Ronaldo (5 awards) |
| Most recent |  Romelu Lukaku (22 goals in 2023) |
| Website | www |
Only international goals from 1 January to 31 December in international matches, Olympic tournaments, FIFA Club World Cup, official matches between the topical continental club champions, and the continental club competitions of FIFA, AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA, as well as, the continental Super Cup matches of the six confederations are taken into consideration. If the number of goals is equal, the player who scored more goals in international matches is ranked higher.[1][2]
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most wins (5), and most goals in a calendar year (32 in 2017). Dennis Bergkamp, Raí and César Obando won the award with the fewest goals (12 in 1992). Neymar and Gabriel Batistuta are the players with the most runner-up appearances (2). Cristiano Ronaldo is the player with most third-place finishes (3). Ali Daei, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Romelo Lukaku are the only players who have won the award more than once. Ronaldo and Messi are the only players to win the award in successive seasons, with Ronaldo achieving this twice. Ali Ashfaq scored the most goals without winning (23 goals in 2013). Real Madrid and Barcelona are tied for the clubs with the most wins (5).
In 2012, the IFFHS awarded the World's Best Goal Scorer of the First Decade, considering the years 2001 to 2010.[3]
Men's winners
List of winners
Notes:
Statistics
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| Player | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 | 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 |
 Lionel Messi | 3 | 2011, 2012, 2022 |
 Ali Daei | 2 | 1996, 2004 |
 Robert Lewandowski | 2015, 2021 | |
| Romelu Lukaku | 2020, 2023 | |
| Jean-Pierre Papin | 1 | 1991 |
 Dennis Bergkamp | 1992 | |
 Saeed Al-Owairan | 1993 | |
 Hristo Stoichkov | 1994 | |
 Jürgen Klinsmann | 1995 | |
 Ronaldo | 1997 | |
 Jasem Al-Huwaidi | 1998 | |
 Raúl | 1999 | |
| Rivaldo | 2000 | |
 Hani Al-Dhabit | 2001 | |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | 2002 | |
| Thierry Henry | 2003 | |
| Adriano | 2005 | |
 Humberto Suazo | 2006 | |
 Trésor Mputu | 2007 | |
| Rico | 2008 | |
 Shinji Okazaki | 2009 | |
| Bader Al-Mutawa | 2010 | |
 Baghdad Bounedjah | 2018 |
| Rank | Player | Year | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 2017 | 32 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | 2012 | 25 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 2013 | ||
| 4 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 2016 | 24 |
| Robert Lewandowski | 2021 |
| Club | Total | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 5 | 2 |
| Barcelona | 4 | 3 |
 Inter Milan | 3 | 3 |
| Bayern Munich | 3 | 2 |
 Al Sadd | 2 | 2 |
| Ajax | 1 | 1 |
| Al-Kuwait | 1 | 1 |
 Al-Muharraq | 1 | 1 |
| Al Shabab | 1 | 1 |
 Arsenal | 1 | 1 |
| Colo-Colo | 1 | 1 |
| Dhofar | 1 | 1 |
| Juventus | 1 | 1 |
| Qadsia | 1 | 1 |
| Manchester United | 1 | 1 |
| Marseille | 1 | 1 |
 Motagua | 1 | 1 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 1 | 1 |
| Saba Battery | 1 | 1 |
| São Paulo | 1 | 1 |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | 1 | 1 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1 | 1 |
| TP Mazembe | 1 | 1 |
| AS Roma | 1 | 1 |
| Nationality | Total | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 5 | 5 |
| Portugal | 5 | 1 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1 |
| France | 2 | 2 |
| Kuwait | 2 | 2 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 2 |
| Iran | 2 | 1 |
| Poland | 2 | 1 |
| Belgium | 2 | 1 |
| Algeria | 1 | 1 |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 |
| Chile | 1 | 1 |
| DR Congo | 1 | 1 |
| Germany | 1 | 1 |
| Honduras | 1 | 1 |
| Japan | 1 | 1 |
| Oman | 1 | 1 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 1 |
The World's Best Top International Goal Scorer of the First Decade (2001–2010)
The awards were part of the IFFHS World Football Gala 2012 which took place in Barcelona in May 2012.[37]
For the final list of 15 players, international goals scored from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2010 were taken into consideration.[3]
Women's winners
| Sport | Association football |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best international goal scorer of the calendar year |
| Presented by | International Federation of Football History & Statistics |
| History | |
| First award | 2021 |
| Editions | 3 |
| First winner | Ellen White |
| Most wins |  Sam Kerr Ellen White Barbra Banda(1 award each) |
| Most recent | Barbra Banda (1st award) |
| Website | www |
List of winners
| Year | Rank | Winner | Club(s) | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1st | Ellen White[38] | Manchester City | 21 |
| 2nd | Vivianne Miedema | Arsenal | 17 | |
| 3rd | Lea Schüller | Bayern Munich | 17 | |
| 2022 | 1st | Sam Kerr[39] | Chelsea | 17 |
| 2nd | Beth Mead | Arsenal | 15 | |
| 3rd | Ewa Pajor | VfL Wolfsburg | 15 | |
| 2023 | 1st | Barbra Banda[40] |  Shanghai Shengli | 15 |
| 2nd | Salma Paralluelo | Barcelona | 14 | |
| 3rd | Sam Kerr | Chelsea | 13 | |
Statistics
| Player | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Ellen White | 1 | 2021 |
| Sam Kerr | 1 | 2022 |
| Barbra Banda | 1 | 2023 |
| Rank | Player | Year | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ellen White | 2021 | 21 |
| 2 | Sam Kerr | 2022 | 17 |
| Vivianne Miedema | 2021 | ||
| Lea Schüller | 2021 | ||
| 5 | Beth Mead | 2022 | 15 |
| Ewa Pajor | 2022 | ||
| Barbra Banda | 2022 |
| Club | Total | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 1 | 1 |
| Manchester City | 1 | 1 |
| Shanghai Shengli | 1 | 1 |
| Nationality | Total | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1 | 1 |
| England | 1 | 1 |
| Zambia | 1 | 1 |