Who is Josef Bican, the former top scorer in history?

After Cristiano Ronaldo reached the number of 807 goals, everyone began to wonder, who is Josef Bican, the previous greatest scorer in history?

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The question was one of the most consulted on the Internet this week and it is worth reviewing the trajectory of the man who was considered for a long time as the greatest goal scorer in history by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics. 

Who is Josef Bican?

Josef Bican was an Austrian-Czech professional soccer player, who played in the striker position and who, since Cristiano Ronaldo's achievement, is considered the second most prolific goalscorer in official matches in recorded history.

This according to the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF), with more than 950 goals scored in 624 matches.

However, FIFA considers him the second-highest scorer in history with 805 goals, behind Cristiano Ronaldo with 807 goals in official matches.

The player was born in Vienna, Austro-Hungarian Empire on September 25, 1913, and died in Prague, the Czech Republic on December 12, 2001. 

What was Josef Bican's career like?

The player developed his entire career between Austria and Czechoslovakia, where he played for the clubs S. K. Rapid, W. S. K. K Admira, S. K. Slavia Praha, D. K. Vitkovické Zelezarny, Skoda Hradec Kralove, D. S. O. Dynamo Praha, and T. J. Dynamo Praha. 

With national teams, he also had a prolific stint as he was capped by the Austrian national soccer team, Czechoslovakia, and briefly by Bohemia and Moravia during the conflict in the country. 

Bican played 38 international matches and scored 31 goals counting his appearances with the aforementioned national teams.

Although it has always been generally accepted that Bican was the top scorer of all time, his numbers have always been in dispute as Brazilian idol Pelé claims to have scored more than 1,000 goals in his career, although this remains unconfirmed.

Adding to the controversy is the fact that the Czech Football Federation itself has regularly disputed Bican's 805 figure, claiming that he scored 821 when the final tallies were recorded.

Which other players join Josef Bican at the top of the greatest scorers in history?

After Cristiano Ronaldo broke Bican's record this week, the list of the top scorers in history is as follows:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo 807

2. Josef Bican 805

3. Romario 772

4. Lionel Messi 759

5. Pele 757

6. Ferenc Puskas 746

7. Gerd Müller 734

8. Ferenc Deák 576

9. Uwe Seeler 575

10. Tulio Maravilha 575

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