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The ability to score headed goals gives strikers an edge on the football field. It is a skill that requires exceptional timing, coordination and positioning. As such, heading is a skill that not every striker possesses.
The ability to score headed goals certainly enhances a player's attacking repertoire, making them unpredictable and challenging for defenders to mark effectively. Strikers who excel at scoring headers are a potent threat in any team's arsenal.
They make life difficult for defenders as every cross or set-piece delivery into the box means danger. Without further ado, let's take a look at four players with the most headed goals in the history of the beautiful game.
#4 Pele - 124 goals
Pele is one of the greatest footballers of all time. He was renowned for his incredible goalscoring ability and was a prolific striker who combined skill, speed and precision to score goals at a prolific rate throughout his career.
Pele's skills with the ball at his feet are simply legendary and his mesmerising skills and shooting range are the kind of stuff footballers and fans rave about to date. But a skill of his that often gets overlooked is his heading ability.
Despite not being particularly tall, Pele had a great sense of timing and a monstrous leap which made him a formidable aerial threat.
His heading accuracy and power enabled him to score plenty of goals and made him one of the most well-rounded attackers in the history of the sport. Pele has scored 124 headed goals in his career.
#3 Carlos Alonso Gonzalez - 125 goals
Carlos Alonso Gonzalez, widely known as "Santillana" is widely regarded as one of the best strikers that Spain has ever produced. Despite being just 175 metres tall, Santillana is famous for his incredible heading skills.
His jumping ability was extraordinary and he was a constant threat in the box, scoring 125 goals with his head in his illustrious career. The former Real Madrid striker's heading prowess made him a thorn in the neck of defenders and a vital asset for his teams.
#2 Gerd Muller - 144 goals
Gerd Muller is widely considered to be one of the greatest strikers in the history of football. He was a lethal finisher who could score with either foot but it was his heading skills that set him apart as a complete forward.
Like the others on this list, Muller was not extremely tall, standing at 176 metres. However, it looked as though he had spring in his legs whenever he leapt in the air to meet the ball with his head. His positioning skills and jumping ability allowed him to outfox much taller defenders in the air.
Muller was also capable of generating plenty of power behind his headers. As a result, the German legend was a constant threat from crosses and set-pieces. His heading prowess went a long way towards solidifying his status as one of the greatest goalscorers the game has ever seen.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 145 goals
Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time. He is also arguably the greatest goalscorer in the history of the sport. Ronaldo's skillset is well-rounded and he is as technically proficient as he is athletically adept.
Ronaldo is renowned for his heading ability. He has astounded opponents, fans and pundits with his extraordinary leap and ability to generate power and precision in his headers. The Portuguese legend's movement inside the area and anticipation make him a difficult player to mark.
The 38-year-old also has a great sense of timing and all these qualities have helped him become an absolute phenomenon in the air. Ronaldo has scored a whopping 145 headed goals in his illustrious career so far.
