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The statistic for goals in a calendar year is obviously a strange one since it combines feats from two separate seasons (the back-half of one campaign and the first half of the next), which isn’t really a useful metric. However, when looking at the top goal scorers from each calendar year over the past decade, there are a few interesting trends which speak volumes about the 2010s.
For example, Lionel Messi is the only footballer to appear every year. Cristiano Ronaldo was right there with him up until 2019, when he finished 14th overall. As for the most goals in a single calendar year, that’s when Messi struck 77 times in 58 games throughout 2012. Absurd.
There are also those brilliant footballers who’ve dominated the last decade but have been somewhat overshadowed by Messi and Ronaldo. The others that’ve appeared in the top 10 on more than five occasions in the past decade include Robert Lewandowski (7), Edinson Cavani (6), Sergio Agüero (5) and Zlatan Ibrahimović (5).
And while it won’t surprise many to know that both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Luis Suárez cracked the top 10 four times, that feat was also achieved by former Udinese star Antonio Di Natale.
Other surprising names to have finished in the top 10 on multiple occasions include Roberto Soldado, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Alexandre Lacazette. At the tender age of 21, Kylian Mbappé has also already appeared twice.
The spending power of Manchester City is also evident here. While Agüero’s been a constant since joining the Citizens and Raheem Sterling cracked the top 10 in 2019, you’ll also find Álvaro Negredo, Edin Džeko and Carlos Tevez making one-time appearances.
Finally, special mention goes to Barcelona’s MSN trifecta in 2015. Ronaldo finished top that year with 54 goals, but Barça’s front three took spots two through four with a combined total of 127 goals.
*These lists have been compiled using Transfermarkt.us and are limited to Europe’s top five leagues, national cup competitions, the Champions League and Europa League. Goals in international play aren’t included.*
Top Goal Scorers Per Calendar Year (2010s)
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2019
1. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 47 games and 48 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 48 games and 45 goals
3. Kylian Mbappé (PSG): 40 games and 39 goals
4. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): 50 games and 35 goals
5. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal): 50 games and 31 goals
6. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City): 50 games and 31 goals
7. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City): 41 games and 30 goals
8. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City): 37 games and 29 goals
9. Timo Werner (RB Leipzig): 41 games and 29 goals
10. Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla/Monaco): 45 games and 29 goals
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2018
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 48 games and 47 goals
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Juventus): 46 games and 43 goals
3. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 45 games and 39 goals
4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): 49 games and 37 goals
5. Harry Kane (Tottenham): 50 games and 34 goals
6. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid): 52 games and 33 goals
7. Luis Suárez (Barcelona): 49 games and 32 goals
8. Florian Thauvin (Marseille): 46 games and 30 goals
9. Ciro Immobile (Lazio): 47 games and 30 goals
10. Neymar (PSG): 26 games and 26 goals
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2017
1. Harry Kane (Tottenham): 46 games and 49 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 55 games and 49 goals
3. Edinson Cavani (PSG): 48 games and 46 goals
4. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 48 games and 43 goals
5. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Dortmund/Arsenal): 46 games and 40 goals
6. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 45 games and 39 goals
7. Ciro Immobile (Lazio): 45 games and 37 goals
8. Falcao (Monaco): 44 games and 32 goals
9. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City): 46 games and 32 goals
10. Kylian Mbappé (Monaco/PSG): 48 games and 32 goals
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2016
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 49 games and 50 goals
2. Luis Suárez (Barcelona): 48 games and 47 goals
3. Zlatan Ibrahimović (PSG/Man United): 50 games and 47 goals
4. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 48 games and 39 goals
5. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 42 games and 38 goals
6. Edinson Cavani (PSG): 48 games and 36 goals
7. Gonzalo Higuaín (Napoli/Juventus): 43 games and 33 goals
8. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Dortmund): 43 games and 32 goals
9. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City): 43 games and 32 goals
10. Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon): 39 games and 29 goals
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2015
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 52 games and 54 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 49 games and 44 goals
3. Luis Suárez (Barcelona): 52 games and 42 goals
4. Neymar (Barcelona): 52 games and 41 goals
5. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Dortmund): 44 games and 38 goals
6. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 50 games and 38 goals
7. Gonzalo Higuaín (Napoli): 54 games and 35 goals
8. Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao): 49 games and 34 goals
9. Zlatan Ibrahimović (PSG): 39 games and 32 goals
10. Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich): 50 games and 31 goals
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2014
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 46 games and 54 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 52 games and 50 goals
3. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City): 32 games and 27 goals
4. Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon): 46 games and 27 goals
5. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): 48 games and 27 goals
6. Antonio Di Natale (Udinese): 35 games and 26 goals
7. Zlatan Ibrahimović (PSG): 34 games and 26 goals
8. Mario Mandžukić (Bayern/Atletico): 42 games and 26 goals
9. Alexis Sánchez (Barcelona/Arsenal): 55 games and 26 goals
10. Diego Costa (Atletico/Chelsea): 50 games and 26 goals
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2013
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 50 games and 59 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 38 games and 39 goals
3. Zlatan Ibrahimović (PSG): 46 games and 38 goals
4. Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid): 45 games and 36 goals
5. Robert Lewandowski (Dortmund): 48 games and 36 goals
6. Luis Suárez (Liverpool): 32 games and 33 goals
7. Álvaro Negredo (Sevilla/Man City): 49 games and 33 goals
8. Edinson Cavani (Napoli/PSG): 43 games and 32 goals
9. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City): 37 games and 27 goals
10. Roberto Soldado (Valencia/Tottenham): 43 games and 26 goals
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2012
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 58 games and 77 goals
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 56 games and 56 goals
3. Falcao (Atletico Madrid): 46 games and 41 goals
4. Edinson Cavani (Napoli): 49 games and 41 goals
5. Zlatan Ibrahimović (Milan/PSG): 48 games and 39 goals
6. Robin van Persie (Arsenal/Man United): 47 games and 33 goals
7. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke): 46 games and 33 goals
8. Diego Milito (Inter Milan): 44 games and 29 goals
9. Antonio Di Natale (Udinese): 46 games and 29 goals
10. Robert Lewandowski (Dortmund): 45 games and 29 goals
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2011
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 50 games and 52 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 52 games and 49 goals
3. Mario Gómez (Bayern Munich): 44 games and 42 goals
4. Robin van Persie (Arsenal): 45 games and 40 goals
5. Roberto Soldado (Valencia): 47 games and 32 goals
6. Antonio Di Natale (Udinese): 38 games and 30 goals
7. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke): 38 games and 29 goals
8. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): 46 games and 29 goals
9. Edinson Cavani (Napoli): 42 games and 29 goals
10. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United): 47 games and 29 goals
The Top Goal Scorers Calendar Year 2010
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 52 games and 55 goals
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 48 games and 45 goals
3. Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid): 40 games and 28 goals
4. Antonio Di Natale (Udinese): 40 games and 28 goals
5. Diego Forlán (Atletico Madrid): 57 games and 28 goals
6. Edin Džeko (Wolfsburg/Man City): 42 games and 27 goals
7. Didier Drogba (Chelsea): 41 games and 26 goals
8. David Villa (Valencia/Barcelona): 47 games and 26 goals
9. Carlos Tevez (Manchester City): 37 games and 25 goals
10. Edinson Cavani (Palermo/Napoli): 42 games and 24 goals
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