The best scorer in history? What Ronaldo really needs to overtake Pele | Goal.com
The star's agent Jorge Mendes claimed he was 68 goals short of O Rei's professional record, but if friendlies are included the number is unreachable
Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes is rarely shy when it comes to extolling the virtues of his elite clients. It is part of the job, of course, and one of the reasons that stars like Cristiano Ronaldo continue to place their trust in the wily businessman to take care of their affairs.
Last week, however, Mendes made a fairly startling assertion that immediately sparked widespread debate. At its heart was Ronaldo, fresh from adding to his already impressive goal tally for the Portugal national team with a landmark strike, and none other than Pele, owner of the biggest – and, for many, most contentious – scoring record in professional football.
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Pelé did score 1,283 goals, but 526 goals came in unofficial friendlies and tour games. He even counted games he played for the Sixth Coast Guard in the military competition. He officially scored 757 goals in 812 games. As great as Pelé's goal scoring ratio was, it pales in comparison to Fernando Peyroteo, the greatest scorer in the history of Portuguese football but also has a reputable claim to be the most prolific striker in the history of the game, with an officially recorded 309 goals scored in 189 championship games; a tandem of figures that leap to an astonishing 544 goals in 334 games when fixtures in all professional competitions are taken into consideration.