Cristiano Ronaldo is certain to conclude the year as the world’s best scorer in 2023, after scoring again in Al-Nassr’s 4-1 victory over Al-Taawoun on Saturday.

The forward has had a great tenure in Saudi Arabia after entering the league from Manchester United in January, helping his team maintain a title challenge against Al-Hilal.

His goal against Al-Taawoun brought him to 54 goals for the year, including international football, with only a few teams left to play before the calendar year ends.

Prior to Boxing Day, Ronaldo behind both Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane, as both Ligue 1, where Mbappe plays, and the Bundesliga, where Kane plays, were on winter break and so not currently playing.


Both Kane and Mbappe will finish the year with 52 goals, while Ronaldo’s most recent strike puts him ahead with 54.
Al-Nassr defeated last year’s Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad 5-2 on Boxing Day, with Ronaldo scoring twice from the penalty spot.

These goals put him one game ahead of his opponents, allowing him one game to go as the outright leading scorer for 2023 among all players worldwide.


The five-time Ballon d’Or winner did not slow down this weekend, scoring two more goals on Saturday as he celebrated yet another award.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City could also have run the forward close, but he has been sidelined for the past few games due to injury.


Due to a foot injury, the Premier League record breaker has missed City’s previous four Premier League games, as well as the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.


He scored 50 goals overall this year.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, wins the award for the fifth time, having previously been the world’s best scorer in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015 while playing for Real Madrid.