Lionel Messi overtook Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for top scorer in Europe over the past decade – but neither is number one!

In a surprising twist in the European top scorer race , both Messi and Ronaldo were overshadowed by another goalscoring giant.

According to the world’s most prestigious football statistics site Transfermarkt , Ronaldo has scored 350 goals in 406 matches in the top 5 European leagues in the past 10 years, he has scored goals for teams such as Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus.

Meanwhile, Messi, ranked second on the list, boasts of scoring 377 goals in 458 matches while playing for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.

The top position on the list belongs to Roberto Lewandowski. Polish striker, who is currently playing in La Liga for Barcelona. He has been a consistent “scoring machine” throughout his career.

During his time in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, Lewandowski’s ability to sniff out goals in front of goal was second to none, winning him the title of top scorer of the tournament five years in a row. His notable achievements include an outstanding performance in the 2020/21 season, where the 1988-born striker scored a staggering 41 goals in the league alone.

In total, the Polish striker has scored an impressive 344 goals for Bayern Munich alone, after joining the club in 2014. Across Europe’s top five leagues over the past decade, Lewandowski has scored a total of 407 goals in 478 matches, firmly consolidating his world No. 1 scoring form over the past decade.

Lewandowski beat Ronaldo and Messi to become the best striker of the decade. Photo: GETTY.

Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane is not far behind with 309 goals in 453 matches for Tottenham and Bayern Munich. He ranks fourth on the list and is 38 goals ahead of Kylian Mbappe – who played 101 fewer matches.

Karim Benzema, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohamed Salah, Luis Suarez and Ciro Immobile are the other names in the top 10.​