Scoring 40+ goals in a calendar year is not an easy feat. Although extremely talented players who had shown their superior ability seemed to achieve such a tally with ease coupled with the help of their teammates.
Below are the only three players who had achieved 40+ goals in 2023:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
The former Manchester United striker had been on top of his game since leaving the England team to move to the Middle East. He currently has 44 goals in all competitions in 2023.
The 38-year-old striker hit his 40th goal of the year against Bosnia and Herzegovina in a Euro 2024 qualifiers match.
Ronaldo is the highest goal scorer in the Saudi Arabia Pro League, with 12 goals in 11 games for Al Nassr.
He is also the joint-highest goal scorer in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, with seven goals. However, he is unlikely to finish with the most goals in 2023 due to a lack of consistency.
2. Erling Haaland
The Manchester City striker had been a top notch since joining from Borussia Dortmund last season. In 2023, Haaland had scored 44 goals and is likely to do more before the end of the 2023.
His two goals against Manchester United on October 29, 2023 increased his goal tally from 42 to 44. He achieved this in 47 games for the club.
Since he joined Manchester City, they have won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 2023.
However, his biggest disappointment of 2023 was not being able to land the Ballon d’Or.
With the assists he receives from the Manchester City midfielders, he is likely to end up with the most goals in 2023.
However, the striker lacks consistency and was not able to deliver in Manchester City’s previous match against Bournemouth on November 4, 2023, where he was substituted in the second half.
3. Harry Kane
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker, who currently plays for Bayern Munich had scored a total of 43 goals in all competitions in 2023.
The Englishman, who joined Bayern Munich at the age of 30, had been a perfect replacement for former striker Robert Lewandowski.
Recently, he scored a hat trick against Borussia Dortmund. In the German Bundesliga, the Englishman had scored 15 goals.
His goal tally since joining the club has been exceptional. With more creative power in the midfield of Bayern Munich, the striker may end up scoring more goals than the other strikers in Europe.
However, his main focus in Germany is winning silverwares which he has failed to win while he was at Tottenham Hotspurs.
