In soccer parlance, the currency of the beautiful and famous game is goals, as such ever wondered who is the player with the most left-footed goals in the 21st century.
Lefties in soccer might be a bit different with their movements, trickery, and nimbleness compared to right-footed players on the pitch, but their sense of balance and symmetry can’t be overemphasized by their team.
In this era of inverted wingers, left-footed players aren’t just required to stand out wide on the wing and make the pitch bigger, they are also tasked with the responsibility of scoring goals either as a winger or forward.
- Players With The Most Left-footed Goals In Soccer
- 1. Lionel Messi – (448-goals)
- 2. Mohamed Salah – (140-goals)
- 3. Antoine Griezmann – (134-goals)
- 4. Lucas Podolski – (122-goals)
- 5. Arjen Robben – (120-goals)
- 6. Cristiano Ronaldo – (119-goals)
- 7. Gareth Bale – (102-goals)
- 8. Givanildo Vieira de Sousa (Hulk) – (100-goals)
- 9. Gonzalez Raul – (99-goals)
- 10. Angel Di Maria – (97-goals)
Players With The Most Left-footed Goals In Soccer
Most soccer players prefer using their right foot, so those who are good with their left foot are kind of special.
They bring a different energy to their teams by creating unique opportunities during the game that right-footed players might not be as good at.
We’ve had lots of really good strikers.
Many of them are better with their right foot, but some are just as awesome with their left. Now, when we talk about the best goal-scorers of the 21st century, we might wonder: who scored the most goals using their left foot?
Let’s find out.
1. Lionel Messi – (448-goals)
- Age: 36
- Club: Inter Miami
In the current era, as soccer fans engage in the ongoing debate over the greatest player of the 21st century, the brilliance and almost magical quality of Messi’s talent cannot be overstated.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest left-footed player to ever play the beautiful game of soccer considering his breathtaking off and on-the-ball talent.
For what it’s worth, Messi as a professional player has scored a total of 448 left-footed goals in his career, and with the Argentine still playing for the club and his country there are no limitations to what he can do with his left foot.
2. Mohamed Salah – (140-goals)
- Age: 30
- Club: Liverpool
In April 2023 Mo Salah further inked his name in the history of the Premier League, when he broke the 16-year record for the most left-footed goals in the league held by Robbie Fowler with his two goals against Leeds United.
Prior to when he broke the record, he’d been on a record-breaking streak that season in the Premier League by also breaking Fowler’s 128 goals scored as the club’s all-time goalscorer.
In the same season against Manchester City, he also dethroned Michael Owen who scored (55) away goals to become Liverpool’s leading away scorer in Premier League history.
With his two goals scored against Leeds United, he equaled and broke Fowler’s record of 105 left-footed goals.
3. Antoine Griezmann – (134-goals)
- Age: 30
- Club: Atletico Madrid
France’s Antoine Griezmann has consistently shown with his goal-scoring performance this season that he is Atletico Madrid’s best player.
For a player who was deemed too small by French clubs as a youngster, but with his hard work, dedication, and consistency he’s been able to put that ugly period behind him with his meteoric rise.
Griezmann’s career didn’t only flourish at club level, he also achieved success with Les Bleus with his Spanish footballing education often showing clearly his understanding of the game and prowess to score goals with his left foot.
4. Lucas Podolski – (122-goals)
- Age: 38
- Club: Gornik Zabrze
Podolski is a Bundesliga legend who starred for Cologne, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal and also earned himself a place in his nation’s football history for his role in winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Aside from the 38-year-old football ability which stood him out early on while growing up, he’s also blessed with a left foot regarded among football fans as a weapon of destruction.
Podolski is still playing professionally in Poland with Gornik Zabrze, but looking back at his career the ex-German forward has scored a total of 122 goals with his left foot.
5. Arjen Robben – (120-goals)
- Age: 39
- Club: Retired
With Robben’s success, pace, trickery, power, and cultured left foot, it is safe to say the former Bayern Munich star has cemented his legacy as one of the game’s finest wingers of all time.
Throughout his decorated stint with Chelsea, Real Madrid, and particularly Bayern Munich where he stands as a legend he scored 120 left-footed goals.
If a player’s trickery, pace, power, and ball control kill defenders, perhaps Robben’s breathtaking nimbleness on the ball should have sent many players to the afterlife, for how good he was with the ball on his left foot.
6. Cristiano Ronaldo – (119-goals)
- Age: 38
- Club: Al-Nassr
Only a few sportsmen have been the subject of many discussions as Cristiano Ronaldo, a dedicated footballer whose achievements are so vast, varied, and staggering to comprehend.
When analyzing one of the greatest ever who is not just of Portugal, but of the world putting into context his success for club and country combined.
With the Portuguese superstar still banging in goals for club and country at the age of 38, seeing him score 109 left-footed goals despite not being a left-footed player says a lot about how good a player he is.
7. Gareth Bale – (102-goals)
- Age: 33
- Club: Retired
When Bale retired as a professional footballer he described the decision to quit the game as the hardest of his career, but on the flip side, you’ll agree with me that he’s one of the finest left-footed players.
As a cultured left-footed player, it’s no surprise that he scored a total of 109 left-footed goals, alongside winning five Champions League and three La Liga titles with Real Madrid.
Some players shrink on the grandest of stages, but for Bale, he didn’t only succeed he also dazzled for clubs and country.
READ ALSO | The Fall Of Gareth Bale
8. Givanildo Vieira de Sousa (Hulk) – (100-goals)
- Age: 37
- Club: Atletico Miniero
Highly-rated Brazilian forward popularly referred to as Hulk, is a power-playing striker who still plays actively topside in Brazil’s Atletico Miniero.
Hulk was well renowned for his stint in Russia with Zenit St Petersburg where he stands a legend for his success with the team.
The mercurial attacker may not be as swift as when he was still young and ruthless in front of goal, but his contributions and goals to the beautiful game of soccer are well documented.
9. Gonzalez Raul – (99-goals)
- Age: 46
- Club: Retired
If there’s anything player in the history of Real Madrid who stands as an icon and a legend for his healthy loyalty and silverware won throughout his stellar display at the Santiago Bernabeu, it is Raul.
With Raul’s celestial achievements at Real Madrid, it’s little wonder the retired forward scored a total of 99 goals with his traditional left foot that comes with touches of divinity on a regular basis.
Throughout his career in the Spanish capital, Raul won 16 titles, a huge haul of trophies, and medals that included the Champions League, La Liga, and UEFA Super Cup.
10. Angel Di Maria – (97-goals)
- Age: 35
- Club: Benfica
It won’t be out of place to categorize Di Maria among Argentine greatest left-footed players to ever come out of the South American nation.
The 35-year-old winger has earned 134 international caps thus far for Argentina, scoring 29 goals and winning the FIFA World Cup and Copa America.
As a professional player still playing at the highest level, Di Maria has scored 97 left-footed goals and could still extend his tally before he retires outright after the Copa America in 2024.
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