Made to look like second nature by some, every footballer will tell you that goalscoring is the hardest art to perfect. It’s typically a task burdened on the shoulders of the strikers; those that operate within the confines of the penalty box as they look to cause defenders all manner of trouble with their movement. That said, the modernisation of football has also seen wingers being more handy in the final third.

Irrespective of one’s position, there has been a glut of innate goalscorers in our midst since the beautiful game’s inception.

But which players have been the youngest to hit the 400-goal mark? Transfermarkt have provided the data and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is yet to make the list, but with the goals flowing, it won’t be long until the freakish Norway international – who is 25 until July 2026 – is rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest to ever do it. Here are the top ten youngest players to reach 400 career strikes.

Luis Suarez – 31 years, 1 month

Now enjoying the twilight period of his career at Inter Miami, Luis Suarez is one of the deadliest bagsmen of his generation – and the numbers behind his brilliance back it up. The Uruguayan, now 38 years of age, plundered 308 goal involvements (195 goals and 113 assists) in 283 appearances for Barcelona in what was the most prolific spell of his career.

Of course, given the sharpshooting nature of the one-time Champions League winner, goals have always flowed for Suarez, and that is the case here. By the time he had reached the 400 career goal mark, he was 31 years and one month old and at the peak of his powers for the La Liga behemoths – which, in the grand scheme of things, positioned him in tenth.

Harry Kane – 30 years, 8 months, 30 days

A goalkeeper’s worst nightmare, Harry Kane‘s varied skill-set means that he is able to score all manner of goals: whether it’s making himself available at the back post for a simple tap-in or firing one home from any area in the penalty area, the Englishman has asserted himself as a certified goal-getter for club and country. For reference: London-born Kane is England’s all-time top goalscorer with 76 strikes in 111 outings.

His goal-getting ability has also been admired by the respective fanbases of Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich – with the latter being his employers since moving from the former in the summer of 2023. Rampant in the infancy of his goal-laden career, Kane is now 32 years of age and many believe he has plenty of years left in the tank. He scored 400 goals before his 31st birthday.

Robert Lewandowski – 30 years, 6 months, 16 days

Like Kane, Robert Lewandowski is in the conversation of being one of modern football’s most destructive – in a positive sense of the word – talismen. Between 2005 and 2008, the lofty frontman made waves in Poland for the likes of Lech Poznan and Legia Warsaw, but he first became a household name during his stint with Borussia Dortmund as he scored 103 goals in 187 matches.

The Poland international’s inevitable move to Bayern Munich – which saw him continue to net goals at a ridiculous rate – beckoned in 2014 and the rest is history. Internationally, too, Lewandowski has always been a respectable figure at the top of the pitch with 87 goals to boot – and his clinic in finishing over the years saw him bag 400 career goals at the age of 30 years, six months and 16 days old.

Neymar Jr – 28 years, 9 months, 1 day

Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances for Selecao, Neymar Jr is a one-of-a-kind footballer. His nation has earned quite the uncanny knack of producing and subsequently developing footballers who provide not only goals but flair, too, and the 33-year-old is cut from exactly the same cloth. Glitz and glamour aside, though, and Neymar is also known for his instinctive nature in the final third.

What makes Neymar’s position on this star-studded list is the fact that he’s played the majority of the career on the flank rather than down the middle. The fleet-footed forward – fondly remembered for his majestic stint in Spain with Barcelona – was just 28 years, nine months and one day old when he managed to notch his 400th goal of his career.

Cristiano Ronaldo –​​​​​​​ 28 years, 11 months, 1 day

Rain or shine, whether it’s been leading an in-form Real Madrid or helping a less-than-impressive Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo has always been a guarantee of goals. Visions of the Portuguese wreaking havoc on the wing for Sporting CP and the Red Devils will forever remain in the memories of many, as will recollections of his performances in the striking berth for teams in the later stages of his career.

Frankly, there are not enough superlatives available to describe the seasoned forward’s ability in front of goal, but those fortunate enough to watch one of the best footballers of all time in the flesh are often left awe-struck by how easy he makes it look. He’s now eyeing the 1,000-goal mark but the first 400 of his career was reached before he reached his thirties.

Jimmy Greaves –​​​​​​​ 28 years, 1 month, 17 days

Many may be unaware of Jimmy Greaves’ exploits in front of goal. Initially Sir Alf Ramsay’s line-leader in 1966 before picking up an injury, the striker’s goalscoring return –​​​​​​​ for both club and country – cannot be understated. A legend among Three Lions circles, London-born Greaves turned out for an array of top English teams during his career – including the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

He scored 266 goals for the north Londoners in 374 appearances and his tally for England (44 in 57) is also mightily impressive; and that’s why he is considered to be among the greatest strikers in football history. Fruitful throughout his career, it took Greaves just 524 matches to reach the 400-goal mark and, at that point, the Englishman was aged 28 years, one month and 17 days old.

Uwe Seeler –​​​​​​​ 28 years, 9 days

If we’re solely focused on how many games it took each player to reach the 400-goal milestone, Uwe Seeler – formerly of Hamburger SV – would be top of this list. For club and country, it took the centre-forward 387 matches to do so, which is the superior rate by a total of 15 outings. From an age perspective, though, he’s fourth after reaching the landmark tally at the age of 28 years and nine days old.

In the 1960s, as the leading star of German football, there were very few players that were operating at the same level as Seeler, who became a three-time German footballer of the Year – in 1960, 1964 and 1970 – and pictured in the middle above. Born and bred in Hamburg, Seeler was a key man for the German national team as he scored 43 goals in 72 outings.

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Lionel Messi –​​​​​​​ 27 years, 3 months, 3 days

Ever since November 16, 2003 – when 38-year-old Lionel Messi replaced Deco to earn his senior Barcelona stripes – he’s been a man of a mission. Leaving no stone unturned, the Argentine has continued to score goals at an utterly alarming rate and his goalscoring prowess has been constant throughout his club career for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.

For many, and for good reason too, the 2022 World Cup winner is the creme da le creme of footballers but, in this regard, he has to settle for a bronze medal. Reaching incomprehensible numbers has become commonplace over the last 15 years or so but, at the time he reached 400 career goals for club and country, Messi was 27 years, three months and three days old.

Gerd Muller –​​​​​​​ 27 years, 2 months and 17 days

Gerd Muller was scoring a copious number of goals before it was cool and trendy by virtue of the fact that his career – which saw him lead the line for Bayern Munich, most notably – spanned between 1963 and 1982. At the apex of his powers, the German’s goalscoring form saw him lift the Ballon d’Or winner in 1970, but Der Bomber was a nuisance of defenders from start to finish.

After graduating from Nordlingen’s academy in 1963, he joined the famous Bavarian outfit the following year. Accustomed to watching his shots bypass goalkeepers and ripple the back of the net, Muller scored a total of 634 strikers to watch him become one of football’s all-time top goalscorers; and the first 400 of those came just after the all-action striker’s 27th birthday.

Kylian Mbappe –​​​​​​​ 26 days, 10 months, 24 days

If the race to the 400-goal milestone is based on age alone, there is one clear winner: 26-year-old Kylian Mbappe. Now the spearhead of Real Madrid, the French world-beater – widely regarded as one of the best footballing teenagers of all time – bagged four centuries of strikes at just 26 years and 328 days old after a decisive brace against Ukraine for France.

At club level, too, the Paris-born winger-turned-striker has always been a deadly finisher in and around the box. The highest-scoring footballer in Paris Saint-Germain‘s history, Mbappe will have to reach unfathomable levels to do the same for his current La Liga employers, due to the fact that he’s looking to usurp the aforementioned Ronaldo. It’s hard to put such an achievement past the forward, though, no matter how improbable it seems.

All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 15/11/2025