10 Top Foreign Goalscorers in Bundesliga history

Last weekend, Robert Lewandowski broke the record of scoring the most goals by a foreign player in a Bundesliga season as the Polish striker has netted 33 goals, as the previous was 31 by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. So, who are the most prolific foreign players to have graced Germany's top flight? Here are the ten most prolific foreign players in Bundesliga history. (These records are from trasnfermarkt as of this post).


Anthony Yeboah - 96 goals




Anthony Yeboah was one of the first African players to make it in Europe during the 1990s. The Ghanaian played in the Bundesliga as well as the Premier League with Leeds United where he has cult-like status. In the Bundesliga, he played for the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg. During his time in Germany, he scored 96 goals in 223 Bundesliga appearances. He was more prolific during his time at Frankfurt, scoring 68 goals for Die Adler, winning the Bundesliga golden boot in 1992/93 and 1993/94  and was part of the Kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season in those respective seasons. He also scored 29 international appearances in 59 caps for Ghana.


Bum-kun Cha - 98 goals



One of the best Asian footballers of his generation, Bum-Kun Cha opened up the gates for Asian players to make it in Europe, particularly Germany. The South Korean played 308 games for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen and Darmstadt 98, scoring 98 goals in the process. He won the UEFA Cup twice with Frankfurt and Leverkusen, as well as the DFB-Pokal with Frankfurt. He appeared in the Kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season twice in 79/80 and 85/86. He was awarded IFFHS Asia's Player of the Century in 1999 and was part of Frankfurt's All-time XI in 2013. He is also South Korea's all-time leading goalscorer with 58 goals.


Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 98 goals



One of the four players on this list to still be active, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left a big mark during his time in Germany. Signed by Borussia Dortmund in 2013, the Gabonese striker scored 98 goals in 144 Bundesliga games for the Black and Yellow, winning the DFB-Pokal in 2017 and the DFB-Supercup twice. He previously held the record of scoring the most goals by a foreign player in a Bundesliga season with 31 goals in 16/17. He was also awarded the Bundesliga Player of the Season in 2016, CAF African Footballer of the Year in 2015 and was part of the Bundesliga Team of the Year in 2017. He currently plays for Premier League side Arsenal.


Arjen Robben - 99 goals



One of the best wide-forwards over the past fifteen years, Arjen Robben had a trophy-laden career with Bayern Munich between 2009 till his retirement in 2019. During his time in Bavaria, the Dutchman scored 99 goals in 201 games. His best goal-scoring season was the 2014/15 season, scoring 17 goals in just 21 games. He won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal and the Champions League in 2013, where he scored the winner. He was part of the UEFA Team of the Year in 2011 and 2014, as well as the Kicker Man of the Year and Germany Footballer of the Year in 2010.


Stéphane Chapuisat - 106 goals



Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Stéphane Chapuisat was a mainstay in the Bundesliga during the 1990s for Bayer Uerdingen and Borussia Dortmund. During his time for the Black and Yellow, he scored 102 goals in 218 appearances, winning the Bundesliga twice in 94/95 and 95/96 as well as the Champions League in 1997. Retired in 2006, he was selected as Switzerland's most outstanding player in the past 50 years by the Swiss FA.


Aílton - 106 goals



A journeyman, Aílton played for 16 clubs throughout his career. In the Bundesliga, he played for Werder Bremen, Schalke, Hamburg and Duisburg, scoring 106 goals in 219 appearances. It was at Bremen where he played the longest, staying in the Northern part of Germany for six years, scoring 88 goals. He won the top goalscorer in the Bundesliga during the 2003/04 season with 28 goals, winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in the process. He was also part of Team of the Season that year and was awarded Footballer of the Year.


Vedad Ibišević - 126 goals



A refugee fleeing conflict in the Balkans,  Vedad Ibišević played in the United States and France before moving to Germany when he signed for Alemannia Aachen in 2006. He has been in Germany ever since and has made a good career in the Bundesliga. The Bosnian has scored 126 goals in a 14-year career playing for Hoffenheim, Stuttgart and Hertha Berlin, where he still plays at age 35. He was part of the Team of the Year in 2009 while playing for Hoffenheim and was Bosnia's first goalscorer in the World Cup, scoring against Argentina in a 2-1 defeat.


Giovane Élber - 133 goals



Known as the 'Samba Striker' by the Bayern faithful, Giovane Élber is one of the few Brazilians who have left a lasting impact in the Bundesliga. The Brazilian played for Bayern Munich, Stuttgart and Borussia Monchengladbach. It was at Bayern where he made his name, scoring 92 league goals in seven seasons. He was part of the Kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season three times and was the joint top-scorer in the 2002/03 season. He won the Bundesliga four times, three DFB-Pokal and the Champions League. He was also part of Bayern's All-time XI.


Claudio Pizarro - 197 goals



Claudio Pizarro is still kicking it at 41 years old making 17 appearances in a very underwhelming season for Bremen as they look to be relegated. The Peruvian is a Bundesliga legend playing for Werder Bremen, FC Koln and Bayern Munich scoring 197 goals, putting him sixth in the Bundesliga's all-time leading goalscorers. He has won six Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal and the Champions League with Bayern Munich. He is of legendary status at Werder Bremen with 106 of his 197 goals with Die Werderaner, winning the DFB-Pokal with Bremen in 2009.


Robert Lewandowski - 235 goals



The most goals for a foreign player in Bundesliga history is by, no surprise, Robert Lewandowski. The Pole is currently third in the Bundesliga's all-time leading goalscorers with 235 goals, behind only Gerd Muller and Klaus Fischer. Playing for Borussia Dortmund and now with Bayern Munich, he has been scoring goals for fun and has won eight Bundesliga titles. Two with Dortmund and six with Bayern. This season has been his most prolific season, scoring 33 goals in the league breaking the record for the most goals by a foreign player in a Bundesliga season. One of the best strikers in Bundesliga history and one of the best strikers over the past ten years, Robert Lewandowski has been the top goalscorer five times and the Player of the Year in 2017. Oh, and he also scored five goals in just nine minutes against Wolfsburg, the fastest time since records began.