The Goalkeeper Who Scored 131 Goals
Published on August 2nd, 2025 8:40 pm ESTWritten By: Dave Manuel
Goalkeepers are built to stop goals. Rogério Ceni didn’t just stop them. He scored them. Often.Ceni was São Paulo’s keeper for over two decades. But what set him apart wasn’t shot-stopping. It was set pieces.
Free kicks. Penalties. He took them. He buried them. And he did it over a hundred times.
Most keepers have zero goals. A handful have one. A few have two or three. Ceni had 131.
He didn’t just pad his stats in friendlies either. He scored in Brazil’s top flight. In the Copa Libertadores. In league deciders. In finals.
He took over 1,000 set pieces in his career. That’s not a typo. Over 1,000. He studied Juninho Pernambucano. He trained like a midfielder. His technique was clean. His mindset was ice.
He scored 61 from penalties. 70 from free kicks. Many were absolute stunners. Top corner. Bent around walls. No keeper could reach them — not even Ceni himself.
He once scored in three straight games. As a goalkeeper. In a top division. For a top club.
He even scored against his own Brazil teammates. Names like Dida, Julio Cesar, and Marcos. Legends of their own.
And he wasn’t a novelty act. He captained the club. He lifted trophies. He was the backbone of one of Brazil’s most consistent teams. São Paulo fans didn’t just trust him. They worshipped him.
His record still stands today. No keeper has come close. Not Chilavert. Not Higuita. Not even Neuer with all his modern flair.
Ceni played 1,237 matches for São Paulo. One club. One shirt. One era.
131 goals. Zero outfield minutes.
