Portugal and Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo is set to end 2023 as the world’s top scorer after he bagged his 54th goal of the year to lift Al Nassr to a 4-1 victory over Al Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. Scoring 54 goals in just 59 matches, the 37-year-old player leads Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe, both with 54 goals, and Erling Haaland, who has scored 50 goals in all competitions.
This is the fifth season in which Ronaldo has finished as the world’s top scorer, achieving the feat in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015 while at Real Madrid. The Portuguese striker celebrated his achievement on Instagram, writing: “54 — I’ll say when it’s finished! Thanks, team.”
Ronaldo’s 54th goal of the season came on the anniversary of his controversial departure from Manchester United last year. The last time he surpassed this figure was in 2016 when he scored 55 goals and won one of his five Ballon d’Or awards. The Portuguese striker is leading this season’s Saudi Pro League top scorers charts with 20 goals in 18 games.
