Even when there is a debate about the greatest player of all-time, most of the names thrown around are that of forwards like Pele, Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The most important parameter that separates good attackers from really top-class forwards is the number of goals scored. Very few players have scored more than 400 goals in the history of football. Our generation was lucky that we witnessed the game of such players.

These players have won numerous team and individual honours throughout their careers and the goals they racked up in the process is the reason why they stand out.

5. David Villa (415 goals)

Villa was the tournament top scorer at Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010

In the fifth position - the former Barcelona striker David Villa. The Spaniard is the leading scorer of his country with 59 goals in 98 games. However, Villa never scored at the junior level for Spain.

At the club level, most of his goals were scored in the La Liga. He scored 231 goals in all competitions, playing in such clubs: Real Zaragoza, Valencia, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. David also scored 55 goals for Sporting Gijon and Sporting Gijon B in the lower divisions of Spain.

Villa currently plays for New York City in MLS, and has already scored 74 goals in 113 games for the American club. He also has two goals for Melbourne City in the Australian League.

The 36-year-old player won at least one trophy in each club, for which he played in La Liga. He became the best scorer of Euro 2008 and at the 2010 World Cup, and Spain then triumphed in both tournaments.

4. Luis Suarez (430 goals)

Suarez has won the European Golden Boot twice

Luis Suárez scored goals in four different leagues for his career. He started with his native club Nacional, for which he scored 12 goals in 34 games in his first season as a professional football player.

Suarez left Uruguay to join the Groningen in the Netherlands, and a year later he arrived in Ajax. During his stay in Netherlands, he scored 114 goals before moving to the Premier League and joining Liverpool.

Uruguayan striker scored 82 goals or the Reds, including 31 in his last season and shared the European Golden Boot with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Suarez left Liverpool to join Barcelona in 2014, and has been there ever since. The Uruguayan took treble in their first season with the Catalan club, and also became the only player to beat both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win the European Golden Boot in the last nine seasons when he scored 40 goals in 35 LaLiga games in 2015/16.

The 31-year-old is the top scorer of his country with 53 goals, and also five goals for Uruguay U20 and U23 on his account.

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (505 goals)

Zlatan has played for nine different clubs so far

With 505 goals in 876 games Zlatan Ibrahimovic is third in this list and is one of 28 players who have ever scored more than 500 goals in world football. The Swede has issued 436 goals at the club level and his account is divided between nine clubs in eight different leagues.

Zlatan started his career with Malmo in Sweden, where he scored 18 goals for the club in the first division and second division of Sweden, and then joined Ajax in 2001. He scored 48 goals for the Dutch giants, and then moved to his first club of Serie A, Juventus. Ibrahimovic scored 26 goals in the Old Lady for two seasons before moving on to their rivals - Inter Milan, where he scored 66 goals for Nerazzurri.

In 2009, Ibra left Serie A to join Barcelona. But after one season in Spain, during which he scored 22 times, he returned to Italy to play for AC Milan. After his stint with Milan, Zlatan has played for PSG, Manchester United and his current club LA Galaxy.

Although the UEFA Champions League has eluded him, he has won an impressive 31 trophies including league titles in Spain, Italy, France and Netherlands. 

Zlatan is also the top scorer for Sweden with 62 goals to his name and no active player features in the Top 10 and the tenth placed player has only 27 goals to his name.

2. Lionel Messi (646 goals)

Lionel Messi is Barcelona's all-time leading goal scorer

Leo has an impressive 646 goals in 822 games. Only six players in the history of football have more career goals than an Argentinian.

Messi has played in the Barcelona throughout his career. He scored 554 goals for the main team and 11 for the teams Barcelona B and C combined.

In addition to his results at the club level, the 31-year-old player has 65 goals for the Argentina national team, 14 goals for the Argentina U20 national team and two more goals for the U-23 team. His result of 65 goals is the best figure in the history of the country, and now it is 26 goals more than any active player.

Messi has won 33 trophies with Barcelona during his career in addition to the numerous individual honours including the five Balon d’Or awards.

1.Cristiano Ronaldo (676 goals)

Cristiano Ronaldo can break even more records at Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo tops this list with 676 goals in 952 games!

Ronaldo has scored 573 goals at the club level. He scored five goals for his first club Sporting CP, 118 goals for Manchester United and a jaw-dropping 450 goals in 438 games for Real Madrid.

Ronaldo has scored the most of his goals for Los Blancos and is the record holder of the club, ahead of the previous striker Raul for 127 goals. Such over-results allowed Cristiano to win already five Golden Balls, one more - and he will bypass the phenomenal Argentinian from Barcelona.

The 33-year-old takes the second place in the ranking of the best scorers on the international level. At the 2018 World Cup, the forward scored his 85th goal for the national team and went around the legendary Hungarian Ferenc Puskas. Now the Portuguese is ahead of only Ali Daei from Iran with 109 goals scored.

Cristiano joined Juventus this summer, thereby giving himself a new challenge. How many more records will he write in his name? We'll find out soon.