Andriy Shevchenko – One of World’s Most Successful Goal Scorers

Kyiv, January 6, 2012. Ukrainian football player Andriy Shevchenko is one of the most successful top division goal scorers among the still active players in the world, according to the news release by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). Shevchenko scored 217 goals in 440 matches as of December 31, 2011.

Andriy Shevchenko, 35, took the 14^th position on the IFFHS list. The list was headed by Yugoslav-born Aleksandar Đurić, 41, who scored over 300 goals, followed by the runner-up Estonian Maksim Gruznov, 37, and second runner-up Brazilian Rivaldo, 39. Earlier, Ukrainian footballer was named the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of March 10, 2011, behind Italian Filippo Inzaghi and Spaniard Raúl.

In March 2011 Andriy Shevchenko was also voted number one CIS football player, reported Korrespondent. This was reported by the Russian newspaper Sport-Express that published the results of monthly referendum voting for the best football player of the month among the CIS countries and the Baltics. Andriy Shevchenko received 56 points – two points more than the result of the runner-up Andrey Arshavin, striker of the London football club Arsenal and the captain of the Russian national team.

Interestingly, the second most prolific player in the history of A.C. Milan is none other than Andriy Shevchenko. He scored 175 goals with the club. Shevchenko is also the all-time top scorer of the Derby della Madonnina (derby between A.C. Milan and their local rivals Internazionale).

In 2004 Andriy Shevchenko won Ballon d'Or (the golden ball) – the European footballer of the year award. Together with Oleg Blokhin and Igor Belanov this makes for three Ukrainians honored the award. Shevchenko also won the UEFA Champions League in 2003 with Milan. Throughout the course of his career the athlete won various league and cup titles in Ukraine, Italy, and England. Shevchenko, who customarily takes the position of a striker, led the Ukrainian national football team as its captain to the quarterfinals in their first ever FIFA World Cup appearance in 2006.

Andriy Shevchenko began his sports career as a competitive boxer in the LLWI Ukrainian junior league. Eventually, he moved on to football career. Currently, Shevchenko is the all-time top scorer of the Ukrainian national football team (46 goals).