Victor Osimhen Surpasses Ronaldo, Equals Messi in 2025 Top Scorers Chart
- Victor Osimhen is one of the best goal scorers in 2025, sitting comfortably in the top five on the list
- The Super Eagles forward scored 46 goals for club and country, more than Cristiano Ronaldo managed
- Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe is the highest goalscorer in the past year with 66 goals
2025 brought a lot of good memories for football lovers, with some players standing out for their clubs, delivering the goals and the big moments.
Football has a special recognition for goal scorers, and they tend to be in the spotlight more than other players in other departments of the pitch.
Source: Getty Images
Some top players had superb goalscoring records in 2025, but according to Planet Football, all fell short of breaking Lionel Messi’s record of 91, set in 2012.
Legit.ng looks at the best goal scorers in 2025, as first called by ESPN.
Top scorers in 2025
1. Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe is in his second season at Real Madrid and was at his menacing best in 2025, scoring 66 goals in 67 matches, which includes the ones he scored for the French national team.
He won the La Liga Pichichi trophy in his first season with 31 goals and is on course to retain his title in the second season with 18 goals already in as many matches.
2. Harry Kane
2025 was the year Harry Kane broke the jinx and won the first trophy of his career after many years of near league title misses and cup final losses.
He was not a spectator in his glorious year, scoring 60 goals in 65 games in all competitions, 51 of which came for Bayern Munich, winning the Golden Boot with 26 goals. He is on course to surpass that this season with 19 goals in 15 matches already.
3. Erling Haaland
Haaland has been one of the best goal scorers in football in recent years, and 2025 was no exception, boasting an impressive record with 57 goals in 55 matches for Manchester City and the Norway national team.
4. Kevin Hernandez
The Puerto Rican forward had the goalscoring average in football in 2025, with 1.30 goals per game. He scored an incredible 48 goals in 37 matches.
5. Victor Osimhen
The Super Eagles forward sits fifth on this list with 46 goals in 52 matches for Galatasaray and Nigeria. He joined Galatasaray permanently in July and keeps scoring for the Turkish champions.
5. Lionel Messi
The most decorated footballer continues to stay relevant even as he approaches the end of his illustrious career. Messi scored 46 goals in 54 matches for Inter Miami and the Argentina national team.
7. Vangelis Pavlidis
The Benfica and Greek forward played the most matches on this list in 2025 with 73 appearances. He scored 45 goals, making him one of the most prolific outside the top five European leagues.
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8. Guilherme Bissoli
The Brazilian forward played for Thai club Buriram United through 2025, scoring 44 goals in 60 games before moving to the Malaysian Premier League.
Source: Getty Images
9. Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo is the oldest player on this list, and at 40, he proved that his age will not stop him. He scored an impressive 41 goals in 46 matches for Al-Nassr and Portugal.
10. Jorge Rivera
Another Puerto Rican player on the list, Jorge Rivera, averaged more than a goal per game in 2025, scoring 40 goals in 35 matches for Metropolitan FA.
Galatasaray fan travels to support Osimhen
Legit.ng reported that a Galatasaray fan travelled to Morocco to support Victor Osimhen at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The fan, identified simply as Hussein, turned up at the team's camp in Fez and described Osimhen as a humble and perfect player, which makes the fans love him.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
