![Daniel Passarella: The defender’s goalscoring record wasn’t far off Diego Maradona's as he plundered 90 for River Plate in eight seasons between 1974 and 1981 and continued at around one every four matches in Serie A for Fiorentina. Also bagged 22 for Argentina. Steve Powell / Allsport](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6HZ42ZAQTYCAWWF5RGKB54ZLMQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fc6a3dce6e959f3c1c727fbe2d3103b960a4ca9e291f964145639b03eca65850&width=400&height=225)
![Sergio Ramos: The Real Madrid defender now has 20 international goals from 165 caps for Spain. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GNPBX5WRSEL2BSJCGGXS77DQ7I.jpg?smart=true&auth=a82421f6c8e178a51b64c4846241d5f9bf2675aa375cf1e67ac02b07ef4666f8&width=400&height=225)
![Ronald Koeman: Sweeper, libero, deep lying midfielder? Whatever position he played he was always a goal threat and the Dutchman’s numbers are extraordinary. He reached double figures in all of his six seasons at Barcelona in the 1990s and struck 26 in 1987/88 for PSV Eindoven. Retired with 253 goals in 763 games – and who can forget that free-kick against England in the dramatic 1994 World Cup qualifier? Or the blockbuster European Cup-winning set piece against Sampdoria at Wembley in 1992? Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OHHM5Y2TO6E7MQG2D6P3G3G7VI.jpg?smart=true&auth=1570d366cf1f52748535ba92604ffe8a1265a4563bbc315cbb029f25da0bbbcc&width=400&height=225)
![Laurent Blanc: Eighty goals in 263 games is a record many strikers would be pleased with – and that was the Frenchman’s record at first club Montpellier as he started further forward before moving back to defence. Blanc also managed 13 in a season at Marseille, but notched just once in a solitary season at Barcelona. His 16 goals in international football took him to a career total of 153. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OA7XBQXBEIOQUT7GZDYHRYABBE.jpg?smart=true&auth=794b4fef2c4200c806ed7609e43031fa5aa644e82f8110e179c58375710479a9&width=400&height=225)
![Fernando Hierro: The Spaniard could do it all – defend, pass and score. And he did, often, during a spectacular career at Real Madrid. He scored 26 in the 1991/92 season during his peak before the goals slowly reduced each year until he left Madrid in 2003. He was the heartbeat of many great teams at the Bernabeu and also netted 29 goals for Spain to total 163 in his career. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VISR7ENDYUWCTQBXISIZT2EPD4.jpg?smart=true&auth=d6049cd3978745f4ac7cc7599647621a96ad06e17fb249d32838a0023b207590&width=400&height=225)
![Graham Alexander: A penalty expert who liked a straight run up and a punt down the middle of the goal. The Scotland international played just a single season in the Premier League with Burnley but scored seven times. He was occasionally deployed in midfield, but made a name for himself as a right-back in England’s lower divisions and scored 130 goals before retiring in 2012. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/V6ARMEGNXMEXISCSETW6N5QKIM.jpg?smart=true&auth=73b685ba561a3bb44ae97a5d2b2c4f0d1a706c6b2aad40a4ef7f69fd4bdd7d88&width=400&height=225)
![Roberto Carlos: His thunderous left foot struck fear into the hearts of anyone standing in the wall when he was lining up a free kick. His bending effort with the outside of his left peg against France in 1997 is the most memorable, but he could also score from open play as well, including a swerving effort from the touchline, which shocked everyone in the stadium, in a Real Madrid match against Tenerife in 1998. He finished with 113 career goals with 11 for Brazil and 67 for Real. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DAWMFDX3O23BHYWZH7ZZ35ITG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=f437c6a90ed27be3885d2a958204b233090b795be835ff694414f008f8d2d16b&width=400&height=225)
![Sinisa Mihajlovic: The Serbian had a fantastic left foot, which he made the most of during a career mostly spent in Serie A with Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter Milan. He scored a hat-trick of free kicks in a match against Sampdoria for Lazio and finished his career in 2006 with 106 career goals. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M2FDBDQBK7YDLZ26F2ENB2WFPU.jpg?smart=true&auth=6c0e9b3948949f535dd5c2c6cccea5154ba6fe6c61726e4233edce21913f157f&width=400&height=225)
![Daniel Passarella: The defender’s goalscoring record wasn’t far off Diego Maradona's as he plundered 90 for River Plate in eight seasons between 1974 and 1981 and continued at around one every four matches in Serie A for Fiorentina. Also bagged 22 for Argentina. Steve Powell / Allsport](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6HZ42ZAQTYCAWWF5RGKB54ZLMQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fc6a3dce6e959f3c1c727fbe2d3103b960a4ca9e291f964145639b03eca65850&width=400&height=225)
![Sergio Ramos: The Real Madrid defender now has 20 international goals from 165 caps for Spain. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GNPBX5WRSEL2BSJCGGXS77DQ7I.jpg?smart=true&auth=a82421f6c8e178a51b64c4846241d5f9bf2675aa375cf1e67ac02b07ef4666f8&width=400&height=225)
![Ronald Koeman: Sweeper, libero, deep lying midfielder? Whatever position he played he was always a goal threat and the Dutchman’s numbers are extraordinary. He reached double figures in all of his six seasons at Barcelona in the 1990s and struck 26 in 1987/88 for PSV Eindoven. Retired with 253 goals in 763 games – and who can forget that free-kick against England in the dramatic 1994 World Cup qualifier? Or the blockbuster European Cup-winning set piece against Sampdoria at Wembley in 1992? Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OHHM5Y2TO6E7MQG2D6P3G3G7VI.jpg?smart=true&auth=1570d366cf1f52748535ba92604ffe8a1265a4563bbc315cbb029f25da0bbbcc&width=400&height=225)
![Laurent Blanc: Eighty goals in 263 games is a record many strikers would be pleased with – and that was the Frenchman’s record at first club Montpellier as he started further forward before moving back to defence. Blanc also managed 13 in a season at Marseille, but notched just once in a solitary season at Barcelona. His 16 goals in international football took him to a career total of 153. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OA7XBQXBEIOQUT7GZDYHRYABBE.jpg?smart=true&auth=794b4fef2c4200c806ed7609e43031fa5aa644e82f8110e179c58375710479a9&width=400&height=225)
![Fernando Hierro: The Spaniard could do it all – defend, pass and score. And he did, often, during a spectacular career at Real Madrid. He scored 26 in the 1991/92 season during his peak before the goals slowly reduced each year until he left Madrid in 2003. He was the heartbeat of many great teams at the Bernabeu and also netted 29 goals for Spain to total 163 in his career. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VISR7ENDYUWCTQBXISIZT2EPD4.jpg?smart=true&auth=d6049cd3978745f4ac7cc7599647621a96ad06e17fb249d32838a0023b207590&width=400&height=225)
![Graham Alexander: A penalty expert who liked a straight run up and a punt down the middle of the goal. The Scotland international played just a single season in the Premier League with Burnley but scored seven times. He was occasionally deployed in midfield, but made a name for himself as a right-back in England’s lower divisions and scored 130 goals before retiring in 2012. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/V6ARMEGNXMEXISCSETW6N5QKIM.jpg?smart=true&auth=73b685ba561a3bb44ae97a5d2b2c4f0d1a706c6b2aad40a4ef7f69fd4bdd7d88&width=400&height=225)
![Roberto Carlos: His thunderous left foot struck fear into the hearts of anyone standing in the wall when he was lining up a free kick. His bending effort with the outside of his left peg against France in 1997 is the most memorable, but he could also score from open play as well, including a swerving effort from the touchline, which shocked everyone in the stadium, in a Real Madrid match against Tenerife in 1998. He finished with 113 career goals with 11 for Brazil and 67 for Real. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DAWMFDX3O23BHYWZH7ZZ35ITG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=f437c6a90ed27be3885d2a958204b233090b795be835ff694414f008f8d2d16b&width=400&height=225)
![Sinisa Mihajlovic: The Serbian had a fantastic left foot, which he made the most of during a career mostly spent in Serie A with Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter Milan. He scored a hat-trick of free kicks in a match against Sampdoria for Lazio and finished his career in 2006 with 106 career goals. Getty Images](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M2FDBDQBK7YDLZ26F2ENB2WFPU.jpg?smart=true&auth=6c0e9b3948949f535dd5c2c6cccea5154ba6fe6c61726e4233edce21913f157f&width=400&height=225)
![Daniel Passarella: The defender’s goalscoring record wasn’t far off Diego Maradona's as he plundered 90 for River Plate in eight seasons between 1974 and 1981 and continued at around one every four matches in Serie A for Fiorentina. Also bagged 22 for Argentina. Steve Powell / Allsport](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6HZ42ZAQTYCAWWF5RGKB54ZLMQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fc6a3dce6e959f3c1c727fbe2d3103b960a4ca9e291f964145639b03eca65850&width=400&height=225)
Sergio Ramos joins prolific goalscoring defenders club after fruitful season with Real Madrid and Spain
Take a look at our list of some of the highest scoring defenders over the years from Ronald Koeman to Roberto Carlos
![Ian Oxborrow](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F17d8e8ae-9d4c-4c39-9df9-321a626a521f.png?smart=true&auth=6235a7864f7cbc035d8070e77b37d3fcc19ce99154bfca710e2ca34c776c2e10&width=70&height=70)
Ian Oxborrow
June 12, 2019
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