Cristiano Ronaldo struck his 500th career goal during Real Madrid's clash with Malmo on Wednesday - but what about the 24 stars who've already done likewise?
With his latest strike for Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo helped himself to his 500th career goal during Los Blancos' win over Malmo on Wednesday night.
The former Manchester United man struck twice in Sweden to hand his side a 2-0 win.
As well as notching his 500th and 501st competitive career goals, Ronaldo also equalled Raul's record of 323 goals for the 10-time European champions.
But who are the great - if forgotten - names of world football that the Portuguese phenomenon has emulated in reaching that magical 500 figure? And who does he still have some way to go to catch?
Here's a look at the other 24 players who, according to the Rec.Sport.SoccerStatistics Foundation, who have also reached the 500 goal milestone in official matches:
24. Ferenc Bene (Hungary)
Goals: 508*
A forward known for his pace and composure in front of goal, he was a central striker for his main club side, Ujpest Dozsa, but was utilised mostly from the right flank for his country during a 17-year international career.
Did you know? He was named in the UEFA team of the tournament at the European Championships in 1964.
23. Jimmy Greaves (England)
Goals: 511
English football's greatest-ever poacher, Greaves was six times the leading marksman in the top division, which included 220 league goals for Tottenham - a club record - following his return to English football from AC Milan. Not bad for the princely sum of £99,999.
Did you know? In eight years with England, Greaves notched 44 goals in 57 appearances, including six hat-tricks.
22. Roberto Dinamite (Brazil)
Goals: 512
Nicknamed Dinamite after scoring at the Maracana on his senior debut for Vasco da Gama at the age of 17, Dinamite was three times named the best player in the Brazilian Championship (1979, 1981, 1984) and scored 26 times for the Selecao in 47 games.
Did you know? He later became Vasco's president in 2008 - but didn't prove particularly popular with fans of the cruzmaltino.
21. Gunnar Nordahl (Sweden)
Goals: 513*
A legend in Sweden, Nordahl starred for AC Milan during the 50s as port of the Rossoneri's much-vaunted Gre-No-Li front trio, comprising he, Gunnar Gren and Nils Liedholm. Five times Serie A Capocannoniere, only Francesco Totti and Silvio Piola have more goals in Italy's top division.
"He would sneak into positions that others would not know existed. He was one of the best players there has ever been, and in my opinion one of the best goalscorers," declared former teammate Gren.
Did you know? Led Sweden to the gold medal at the Olympic Games in London in 1948, scoring seven goals in the process.
20. Johann Krankl (Austria)
Goals: 514
Regarded by many as the greatest player ever produced by Austria, Krankl was five times named Austrian Player of the Year and enjoyed two stellar spells with Rapid Vienna in his homeland and Spanish giants Barcelona - winning the Pichichi in his debut season at Camp Nou.
Also played a major role in his country's qualification for the 1978 World Cup, scoring the winning goal against West Germany - their first success against their rivals in 47 years - in a match dubbed The Miracle of Cordoba.
Did you know? Released a number of musical offerings, the biggest of which was a single entitled 'Lonely Boy' which peaked at No.2 in the Austrian chart.
19. Alfredo di Stefano (Argentina, Spain)
Goals: 514*
The man who more than any other dominated the early years of the European Cup - leading Real Madrid to five successive triumphs - the legendary Argentine twice won the Ballon d'Or and is Los Blancos' third all-time top scorer (behind only Ronaldo and Raul).
"Alfredo was one of the best players I ever came across and an extremely intelligent footballer," declared Sir Bobby Charlton following his death in 2014.
Did you know? The Blond Arrow reportedly moved to Spain in 1953 ready to sign for Barcelona - Until Gerneral Franco stepped in.
18. Tulio Maravilha (Brazil)
Goals: 515*
Known as 'The Marvel', the Brazilian forward is the only player to be leading scorer in three different levels in the Brazilian system (Serie A, B and C).
Continued playing until well into his 40s as he sought to reach 1000 goals (including friendlies, commemorative and amateur games). Upon reaching what he believed to be that figure he declared: "Mission accomplished. This is for all the people who believe in their dreams."
Did you know? As he struck what he believed to be his 1000th goal, Tulio was wearing a shirt with the number 999 on his back.
17. Zico (Brazil)
Goals: 522
The attacking midfielder who shone with 48 goals in 71 matches for the Selecao, the creative star came eighth in the FIFA Player of the Century vote in 1999.
A scorer of goals as much as a creator, he was labelled 'The White Pele', but could never take his country to World Cup glory, unlike Flamengo, with whom he won the Brazilian title on four occasions.
Did you know? Led Flamengo to Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup success in 1981, with Mengao thrashing Liverpool 3-0 in Japan.
16. Gyula Zsengeller (Hungary)
Goals: 522*
A scorer of 32 goals in 39 international matches, he struck a hat-trick in the 1938 World Cup semi-final against Sweden to take Hungary to the final (where they lost to Italy).
Spent 11 years with Ujpest in his homeland (1936-47), scoring 387 goals in 325 league games.
Did you know? Picked up his first international cap during Hungary's 6-2 defeat toEngland in December 1936.
15. Jozsef Takacs II (Hungary)
Goals: 523*
A hero at two of Hungarian clubs - Vasas SC and Ferencvaros - he was five times the top scorer in the top division during a seven year period: 1925-32.
During the 1931-32 season, he scored 42 of Fradi's 105 league goals.
Did you know? Played alongside his brother during the 1931-32 campaign as Ferencvaros won the league, winning all 22 matches.
14. Fritz Walter (Germany)
Goals: 539*
A legend at Kaiserslautern, the forward became the first German to lift the Jules Rimet trophy after leading the side to victory over Hungary in 1954's Miracle of Bern.
In 2004, UEFA elected him the single most outstanding German player of the previous 50 years - ahead of the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller - as they celebrated their 50th anniversary.
Did you know? He and his brother Ottmar became the first brothers to play in a World Cup winning team.
13. Hugo Sanchez (Mexico)
Goals: 541*
The man who crossed the Madrid city divide when swapping Atletico for Real in 1985, Hugo Sanchez enjoyed a stellar career in both Europe and North America.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, Sanchez won five successive La Liga titles, winning the Pichichi on four consecutive occasions
Did you know? Scored 38 goals in the 1989-90 season - all of which were one touch finishes.
12. Fernando Peyroteo (Portugal)
Goals: 544
The Angolan-born striker spent all his senior career with Sporting Lisbon, winning eleven major titles with the Lions and claiming the Bola de Prata (Silver Ball for the Primeira Liga's top scorer) on six occasions.
Did you know? He retired in 1949 at the early age of 31.
11. Franz Binder (Austria, Germany)
Goals: 546*
Nicknamed Bimbo, Binder spent 19 years with Rapid Vienna, winning the Austrian title on four occasions and taking Austria's premier club to the Great Germany Gauliga - the German championship, which expanded to incorporate teams from Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia et al, as the Third Reich swelled across Europe - in 1940 and 1941.
On the international stage he bagged 16 goals in 19 games for Austria, while he also turned out for Die Mannschaft during the Anschluss - bagging 10 goals in only nine appearances.
Did you know? Scored a hat-trick against Schalke in 1941 to secure the Gauliga title for Rapid.
10. James McGrory (Scotland)
Goals: 550
The all-time leading goalscorer in top-flight British football, McGrory is a bona-fideCeltic legend.
"Shoulders like a young Clydesdale, neck like a prime Aberdeen Angus and a head the nightmare of every goalkeeper," declared ex-Dundee United keeper Bill Paterson, of the man who won three Scottish titles with the Superhoops. He would also manage them to the title during a distinguished managerial career.
Did you know? McGrory helped himself to a British top-flight record of 55 hat-tricks during his 15-year career.
9. Eusebio (Portugal)
Goals: 552
Eusebio arrived in Portugal from Mozambique and quickly became a hero across his adopted country.
Regularly hailed as Africa's greatest-ever player, Eusebio won 11 Portuguese titles, five Taca de Portugal's and the 1962 European Cup with Benfica, while his goals took Portugal to third place at the 1966 World Cup.
"For me Eusébio will always be the best player of all time," declared Alfredo di Stefano shortly after the Benfica legend's death in 2014.
Did you know? Eusebio was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, scoring nine times.
8. Ernst Willimowski (Poland, Germany)
Goals: 554*
Born in the Polish city of Katowice while it was part of the German kingdom of Prussia, Willimowski figured for both countries.
Once scored 10 goals in a single game for Ruch Chorzow, while he scored a hat-trick against Hungary in Poland's 4-2 win in Warsaw in 1939 - just four days before the start of World War II.
Did you know? The man known as Ezi had six toes on his right foot.
7. Uwe Seeler (Germany)
Goals: 575
A bull of a centre-forward, Uwe Seeler was captain of club side Hamburg during the 1960s and early 70s, while he also led out West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final.
A three-time Footballer of the Year in Germany, Seeler's 575 competitive goals stand him as the second-highest scoring German of all time, while he scored nine goals across four World Cups.
Did you know? He was the first player ever to appear in 20 World Cup matches.
6. Ferenc Deak (Hungary)
Goals: 576*
Born in Budapest, the Hungarian ace only spent 10 years playing, but managed a staggering 576 goals in 378 games.
Szentlorinci, Ferencvaros and Budapest Dozsa were the grateful recipients of his goalscoring talents, he averaged 1.52 goals per game during his career.
Did you know? Scored 66 league goals for Szentlorinci in a single-season in post-war Hungary (1945-46).
5. Gerd Muller (Germany)
Goals: 735
Der Bomber was the very definition of prolific, as 68 goals in 62 international caps and 398 league goals in 453 league games for Bayern Munich will attest.
A master poacher, he may have been awkward-looking but he struck 14 goals at World Cup finals, claimed the Ballon d'Or in 1970 and was twice the European Golden Shoe winner (1970 and 1972).
Oh, he was SEVEN times the top scorer in the Bundesliga as well. Goals were very much his business.
Did you know? Adidas sell retro trainers based on the German striker.
4. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
Goals: 746*
The "little fat chap" who led arguably the greatest international team never to win the World Cup - Hungary's Magical Magyars.
Puskas wasn't the quickest, but his technique was years before his time while his left foot inflicted a 6-3 slaughter on England in 1953 - with Hungary's third goal seeing Puskas leave England captain Billy Wright sliding past like "a fireman going to the wrong fire".
A talisman for his country with 83 goals in 84 caps, the Galloping Major as he was known in his homeland shone for Honved before moving to Spanish giants Real Madrid, winning three European Cups and five successive Spanish titles.
Did you know? He remains the only player to score four goals in a European Cup final.
3. Pele (Brazil)
Goals: 767
For many, Edson Arantes do Nascimento remains the greatest football of all time.
The man who would become known worldwide as Pele, lit up the game as a 17-year-old, before going on to win honours both collectively - three World Cups, two Copa Libertadores, two Intercontinental Cups - and individually.
Elected FIFA Player of the Century in 2000 he left his mark on the game with a host of standout moments, many of which will, to paraphrase Marcus Aurelius, forever echo in eternity.
Did you know? Pele is mentioned in the song "Ghetto Superstar" by the rapper Pras.
2. Romario (Brazil)
Goals: 772
Often outspoken, argumentative, volatile - but my word the diminutive Brazilian could finish.
A World Cup winner in 1994, he scored 55 goals in 70 games for the Selecao and starred for a host of clubs, both across Europe (PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona) and his homeland (Flamengo, Vasdo da Gama).
Hailed by Johan Cruyff as a "genius of the goal area". He wasn't wrong.
Did you know? On October 5th 2014, Romario was elected to the Brazilian senate with the most votes ever recieved by a Riod de Janeiro candidate.
1. Josef Bican (Austria, Czechoslovakia)
Goals: 805*
Born in Vienna in 1913, Bican became part of the Austrian Wunderteam of the 1930s, having made his name with Rapid Vienna as an 18-year-old. Then they were paying him 150 Austrian schilling's - by the age of 20, his wages had quadrupled.
Most known in club football for his 11-year spell with Slavia Prague, for whom he scored 534 goals in 274 games, he also made 14 appearances for Czechoslovakia (12 goals).
Was awarded the Golden Ball as the greatest goalscorer of the last century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics in 2001.
Did you know? 'Pepi' also played for the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia against Yugoslavia in Germany ahead of World War Two - He scored a hat-trick.
*Indicates player may have scored more ( courtesy of the rsssf )
REAL MADRID STAR CRISTIANO RONALDO REACHES 500 GOALS
