Top five players with the most headed goals in ISL history

These players have earned themselves a name as the league’s most menacing aerial threats.

The Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 is going strong. So far, 31 games have been played, and 89 goals have been struck already, at a high average of 2.87 per match. The average is already higher than the one from last season, which was 2.76 per game, with 384 goals in 139 games.

Among these huge numbers of goals, a majority are scored by players’ feet, while only a few special ones are headed into the nets. Successful headers are a rare scenario in football around the world, and the situation is similar in the Indian top division too.

Headers have been so rare in ISL that in the year of inception of the ISL (2014), Massamba Lo Sambou of NorthEast United had the most headed goals, with just two to his name. Next year, in 2015, Mohammed Rafi of Kerala Blasters doubled the tally, with four. In 2015, it was back to two goals, scored by Davide Succi of Chennaiyin FC.

The figure never crossed four until 2019-20 when Mourtada Fall registered five headed goals. The tally remained five until Petar Sliskovic struck six to shock fans and players alike in 2022-23. Of course, one should not forget that the tally increased from the initial years only after an increase in teams, and matches.

The brief not given above was an insight into players with the most headers converted to goals in a single ISL season. Now, let us take a look at the all-time highest-headed goal scorers in ISL to date:

4. Mohammed Rafi – 7 headed goals

Mohammed Rafi was undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in the early years of ISL. The striker played for Atletico de Kolkata, Kerala Blasters, and Chennaiyin FC. Interestingly, he scored a total of eight goals in his ISL career (along with four assists), and seven of those were headers!

That’s an unusual percentage of headed goals for a striker but it ties him at fourth place for most headed goals in the league’s history. As mentioned earlier, he also scored four headed goals in ISL 2015, the most that season.

ALSO READ: Top five highest goal scorers in ISL history

4. Nerijus Valskis – 7 headed goals

The retired Lithuanian forward had a bright ISL career, netting 27 goals with seven assists in 55 games. Of these 27, seven were headers, letting Nerijus Valskis stay joint fourth in the list. The 1.85m striker played for two ISL clubs, Chennaiyin FC and Jamshedpur FC, between 2019 and 2022.

2. Sunil Chhetri – 18 headed goals

Captain, leader, and legend Sunil Chhetri is an obvious name in most lists. The forward has been netting goals since the year of inception and he continues to shine even today, at the age of 40. The player has featured in 160 ISL games, having 64 goals and 14 assists. 

In the initial days of ISL, Chhetri played for Mumbai City FC, and Bengaluru FC was an I-League club. Since the arrival of the Blues in the league and his switch back to the side, he has been a one-club man. Among the goals he has scored till date, 18 have been headers. Chhetri is still going strong & Indian football fans will expect him to continue his age-defying heroics.

2. Bartholomew Ogbeche – 18 headed goals

The Nigerian beast is 40 now, having hung up his boots in 2023. However, Bartholomew Ogbeche’s feats shall continue to be the stuff of nightmares for his former opponents in the Indian Super League. He has performed at his very best for all the Indian clubs he represented, which include the likes of Hyderabad FC, Mumbai City, NorthEast United, and Kerala Blasters.

In the 98 games he played, he scored a whopping 62 goals, with nine assists. Of these, 18 were headers.

ALSO READ: Top five players with the most assists in ISL history

1. Mourtada Fall – 19 headed goals

The Senegalese centre-back is the only defender on the list, and he tops the chart. Mourtada Fall with his goal against East Bengal this season became the player with the highest headed goals in Indian Super League history. Of the 22 goals he has to date, 19 have been headed in. He has always been a lethal asset for his teams from set-piece situations. He also boasts a commendable record in the playoffs, with five goals and an assist to his name in 13 games.

He has been present in 124 games, representing Odisha FC, Mumbai City FC, and FC Goa. He currently captains Odisha FC.

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