Count definition
What the register counts, and what it does not
How this register counts
The register reads 981 official senior-career goals. This page is the definition behind that number: what is counted, what is excluded, where the figures come from, and how often they are checked. It is the same page you should read before believing any goal total, including this one.
What counts
Only top-level official senior competitions, plus official senior internationals for Portugal.
| Category | In the total? |
|---|---|
| League competitions, all divisions | ● counted |
| Domestic cups and super cups | ● counted |
| UEFA club competitions | ● counted |
| AFC club competitions | ● counted |
| Intercontinental / world club competitions | ● counted |
| Official senior internationals for Portugal | ● counted |
| Unofficial matches | ○ excluded |
| Youth and reserve football | ○ excluded |
| Goals in a penalty shoot-out | ○ excluded |
Excluding these is the whole reason two reputable sources can publish different totals and both be right: they are counting different sets. When you meet a different number, compare the definition before you conclude that either source is wrong.
The four columns
The career total is the sum of four columns. They are shown separately because each one answers a different question, and because the sum is the check: if the columns ever stopped adding up to the total, the register would be wrong and you would be able to see it here.
Continental goals cover UEFA, AFC and world club competitions together — they are not a Champions-League-only figure.
Where the figures come from
One source: Wikipedia, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. The four column values are retrieved from the source.
This site is a tracker and an explainer, not the origin of the data. When the article and this page ever disagree, the article is the record and this page has a bug.
How the figure is kept honest
- Retrieved at read time on a schedule
- Sum-checked on every single retrieval
- Checked daily, and more often on match days
- Published only when the career total changes
What this site does not claim
The figure here is one source's count under one stated definition. It is not an independent verification, and no other organisation's ranking is cited as agreement: figures published elsewhere use different rules, and treating a differently-scoped list as a confirmation would misrepresent it. What this site offers is a number it can define, source and re-check on a schedule — not a number it asks you to take on trust.
Figures last retrieved 13 October 2026. Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).