FIFA Club World Cup: Karim Benzema Closes In on Cristiano Ronaldo at Summit of Top Scorer List

• Cristiano Ronaldo played in the FIFA Club World Cup for both Real Madrid and Manchester United
• Karim Benzema has a chance to catch Ronaldo at the top of the scoring charts in the current edition
• Lionel Messi is two goals behind Ronaldo on the charts, but last featured in the competition in 2016

Cristiano Ronaldo is at the top of the FIFA Club World Cup scoring charts, but for how long?

The Al-Nassr star last scored in the tournament in 2017 but still leads the way.

With Ronaldo not featuring in the competition since the 2017 final, others have slowly closed the gap on him in the race for the top scorer title.

Sports Brief looks at the top scorers in the tournament as the 2022 edition continues.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Meet the top 4 African stars who played for Eintracht Frankfurt

Football

With seven goals in eight appearances, Ronaldo finds himself leading the pack when it comes to goals in the tournament.

The former Juventus player achieved that feat with two different clubs, scoring for Real Madrid and Manchester United. His last goal came against Gremio in the 2017 final when Madrid won their fourth title.

With Al-Nassr still in the AFC Champions League, Ronaldo could make an appearance in the competition again next year.

Gareth Bale

Another former Los Blancos star, Bale has scored six goals in the tournament.

Now retired, Bale won’t get a chance to better his current stats, but his impressive tally puts him near the top.

He famously scored a hat-trick in the last tournament he featured in, putting three past Kashima Antlers in the semi-final in 2018. Madrid went on to win that edition.

Karim Benzema

Like Ronaldo, Benzema is another player who once played for Madrid but now represents a Saudi Pro League side.

FC Porto legends: Top 10 all-time greats for the Dragons

Football

Currently at Al-Ittihad, Benzema now has five goals to his name in the tournament. Four of his goals came for the Spanish side, but his latest strike came in the colours of Al-Ittihad.

As noted by SuperSport, Benzema scored in a 3-0 win over Auckland City, as Al-Ittihad booked their place in the next round against Al-Ahly from Egypt.

César Delgado

Also on five goals in the tournament is César Delgado.

Now retired, Delgado played for Mexican outfit CF Monterrey. His last appearance in the tournament came in 2011, but he failed to score in that edition.

A former Argentinian international, Delgado also hails from Rosario, the town that World Cup winner Lionel Messi comes from.

Lionel Messi

Speaking of the Inter Miami star, Messi also has five goals in the tournament.

A three-time winner with Barcelona, Messi last featured in the competition in 2016 when he scored in the final against River Plate.

Portugal World Cup Squad 2022: Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing this World Cup?

Football

Currently at Inter Miami, Messi’s chances of playing in the tournament are slim but not over. Having scored five goals in five games, he could still climb the ranks if he gets another run in the tournament.

The full top ten table looks like this:

(All stats sourced from Transfermarkt)

2023 FIFA Club World Cup's qualified teams

The 2023 FIFA Club World Cup has started, and excitement is at a high for one of the biggest sporting events of the year.

The list of participants are now complete following Brazilian side Fluminense’s win in the recent Copa Libertadores final.

Sports Brief looks at the seven teams that have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup which is being held in Saudi Arabia.