Cristiano Ronaldo 17th
©TM/IMAGO
The FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world. Since 1871 teams from across England and Wales have competed for the prestigious trophy. This season’s FA Cup began way back in August with a whopping 732 teams across the country competing for a place in the first round proper, which began in November. Now it’s FA Cup third round weekend, with many mouth-watering ties up and down the country, as Premier League sides get their first taste of the action this season.
It’s a competition synonymous with football heritage and history, but in more modern times which players have lit up the FA Cup? As the old cliche goes, ‘goals win games’ so which stars have scored the most FA Cup goals since the year 2000? Here at Transfermarkt, we have compiled the list of the top 20 scorers in the 21st century, with some legendary names showing their faces.
The top FA Cup scorers in the 21st century
Leading the way is none other than Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, who scored 27 FA Cup goals in 64 matches across his career. He won the competition four times with the Blues, in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012. In second place is another member of England’s ‘Golden generation’ in Wayne Rooney. The former striker scored 23 FA Cup goals in 49 matches. Rooney actually only won the FA Cup once in 2016. Third place goes to another former England striker – Jermain Defoe – he scored 22 FA Cup goals in 39 games. In fourth spot is the first non-English player; Manchester City hero Sergio Agüero boasted an incredible record of scoring 20 goals in just 22 FA Cup matches.
Surprisingly, former Man City and Leicester striker Kelechi Iheanacho takes fifth place, having scored 18 goals in 25 FA Cup games. In sixth is Peter Crouch, with the big striker scoring 18 goals in 44 matches across his career. Seventh goes to former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford, with 17 goals in 22 matches, including a famous winner at Old Trafford for the Whites back when they were in League One. In eighth is Darren Bent with 17 goals in 25 games. He is followed by Harry Kane in ninth with 17 goals in 35 matches, whilst Romelu Lukaku completes the top 10, having scored 16 goals in 25 games.
