The time has come to rank the greatest.
This year, the best scorers on the planet have shone. Between Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane, the battle was fierce.
But is that enough to secure a spot among the top places in the ranking of the best scorers in a calendar year across all competitions? Find the answer below!
10th place: Cristiano Ronaldo (2012) – 63 goals
It is indeed absurd that CR7 was only the second-best scorer in 2012 with 63 goals, far behind the leader. But we’ll come back to that.
📸 Jasper Juinen – 2012 Getty Images
9th place: Kylian Mbappé (2025) – 66 goals
It had been a long time since a player had reached such a level. The Frenchman emulated his idol CR7 by matching his record of 59 goals with Real Madrid in a single calendar year. He also scored seven goals for France, earning himself a spot in the top 10.
7th place: Cristiano Ronaldo (2013) / Robert Lewandowski (2021) – 69 goals
In 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo scored six more goals than the previous year, winning his second Ballon d’Or out of five. The trophy eluded Robert Lewandowski during the most prolific period of his career. In 2021, Lewa was wreaking havoc on the pitch with 69 goals.
📸 Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno – 2017 Getty Images
4th place: Romário (2000), Zico (1979) and Pelé (1965) – 72 goals
This wooden medal can be shared by three of the greatest Brazilians of all time, each belonging to a different generation. Interestingly, Romário was already 34 years old during his most prolific season.
3rd place: Pelé (1958) – 75 goals
Pelé held this record for 14 years before it was broken by a German legend. In 1958, the Brazilian won the World Cup as a teenager and also scored many goals for FC Santos.
Second place: Gerd Müller (1972) – 85 goals
Germany’s top scorer dethroned PelĂ©, the previous record holder. The record set by Gerd MĂĽller actually stood for forty years and was practically considered eternal, but…
📸 STAFF
1st place: Lionel Messi (2012) – 91 goals
While Müller’s record already seemed unattainable, it is simply inconceivable that Lionel Messi’s, set during his best year in 2012, could ever be beaten. Thirteen years ago, La Pulga played as if he came from another planet and racked up an incredible 91 goals in a single calendar year!
📸 David Ramos – 2012 Getty Images
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Do you think this record will ever be broken?
This article was translated into French by artificial intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.
📸 Angel Martinez – 2025 Getty Images
