Cristiano Ronaldo is set to end 2023 as the highest goalscorer after he nudged in his 54th goal in the calendar year in a Saudi Pro League match, MySportDab reports.
The 38-year-old found the back of the net as Al Nassr came up clutch with a 4-1 win over Al Tawoon in SPL.
Ronaldo’s goal took the Portuguese pass Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane and PSG forward Kylian Mbappe with two goals.
Kane and Mbappe have scored 52 goals each for club and country in 2023 and would have given Cristiano Ronaldo a tough run in the race if not for temporary break in Bundesliga and French Ligue 1 due to the festive period.
The duo were top of the chart before Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a brace in a crunch Saudi Pro League tie against Al Ittihad.
The brace saw the Al Nassr forward increased his goal tally to 53 goals from 51, overtaking both Mbappe and Kane.
Against Al Tawoon, Ronaldo added to the tally to seal his top spot going into next year.
The 54-goal tally marked another milestone in his epic career. It has been eight years since he last emerged as the top scorer in a calendar year.
He first recorded the milestone in 2011, three years after joining Real Madrid from Manchester United.
In 2013, 2014, and 2015, Ronaldo became the first player to score the highest number of goals for club and country for three consecutive years.
Recreating those magical years at the ripe age of 38 is a significant milestone for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
He has, however, lost his global rating in the sports since his groundbreaking move to Saudi Pro League, missing out on major football awards, but has continued on a brilliant and stellar individual run.
