Frank Lampard beats Ronaldinho, Kaka to emerge as century's highest scoring midfielder

Former Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho mesmerised the world with his magical showboating skills. The magic that he displayed on the field had few to no haters. Apart from his quick footwork, Ronaldinho possessed a knack to score magnificent goals and is regarded among the best-attacking midfielders of his era. But he surprisingly fails to make the cut among the top three highest goalscoring midfielders in the world of the century along with his former teammate Kaka, with Chelsea legend Frank Lampard leading the way. 

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Frank Lampard has scored most goals as a midfielder in 21st century

According to a sensational stat revealed by Transfermarkt, Lampard has emerged as the highest-scoring midfielder of the 21st century. The former Chelsea superstar, who also went on to produce a brief managerial stint with the Blues, managed to rake up 261 goals during his decorated career. 

The 42-year-old is widely regarded among the best midfielders to have played in the Premier League. Indeed, Lampard boasted of a phenomenal career with the Stamford Bridge outfit, not just individually, but collectively as well. Having clinched the Premier League thrice, he also played a key role in his side's Champions League triumph in 2012, followed by Europa League glory the very next year. 

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Gerrrad, Van der Vaart fall behind Lampard 

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard possesses the honour of occupying the second spot in the esteemed list with 206 goals to his credit. Currently at the helm with Rangers FC and reportedly being lined up to replace Jurgen Klopp, Gerrard guided his side to Champions League glory in 2005. However, the Premier League title remained out of sight for him, the only regret for the former midfielder. 

Rafael van der Vaart was counted among the most underrated players despite his stint with Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur. With 194 goals, the Dutch legend sits third in the list of highest-goalscoring midfielders. A Spanish Super Cup victory and two Eredivisie titles remain major highlights of his career. 

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Ronaldinho, Kaka not among top three scoring midfielders 

The Brazilian duo of Ronaldinho and Kaka languish southward in the list. Ronaldinho struck 169 goals in his career, but his impact was beyond statistics. Having clinched the Ballon d'Or title in 2005, he was arguably the key player in Barcelona's Champions League triumph in 2006. Apart from the World Cup glory in 2002, he also enjoyed domestic league success in Italy and Spain. 

Similarly, Kaka reigned supreme during his stint with AC Milan. The former Brazilian midfielder clinched the Champions League title with the Rossoneri, resulting in a Ballon d'Or triumph in 2007. In all, he struck 148 goals in a career spanning close to 18 years, including his stint with Real Madrid.

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Image courtesy: Frank Lampard Instagram