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Top 10 footballers with the most goal contributions in a season since 2000
Ciku Njuguna
updated at March 15, 2024 at 8:33 AM
Football greats such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Robert Lewandowski make appearances in almost all leaderboards. Over the history of football, a select number of players have topped the list of players with the most goal involvements. Dig in for an extensive analysis of player performances recorded over the last century and the players with the most goal contributions in a season.
Source: Getty Images
Table of Сontents:
Who has scored the most goals in football history in one season? Sports Brief has used credible sources such as Transfermarkt, the Champions League and Premier League websites to create this ranked list of the most goal contributions in a season.
Who has the most goal contributions in a season?
Which footballers have scored the most goals in one season? Over the last two decades, legendary names in football have topped the list of the most goal contributions in a season in all competitions, such as Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Thierry Henry.
In the 2023/24 season, one such footballer is Luuk de Jong, who has made 31 shots with 14 assists in 37 matches for PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie. Have a look at this analysis of the top 10 contributors within top-tier leagues and national association teams.
Source: Getty Images
Who has the most goals and assists in a season?
Since 2000, Messi has led in the most goal involvements, with contributions ranging between 102 and 65. Competition for the most valuable players remains tight as top performers such as Ronaldinho, who contributed to 50 scores for his teams in 2005/06, do not make it to the list. Here is a list of players with the most goal contributions in a season of all-time.
Player | Team (s) | Season | Shots | Assists |
Roy Makaay | FC Bayern Munich Netherlands national football team | 2004/05 | 34 | 17 |
Thierry Henry | Arsenal FC French national football team | 2002/03 | 32 | 28 |
Henrik Larsson | Celtic Swedish national football team | 2003/04 | 41 | 20 |
Erling Haaland | Manchester City Norwegian national football team | 2022/23 | 52 | 9 |
Jardel | FC Porto Brazilian national football team | 2001/02 | 55 | 8 |
Kylian Mbappé | Paris Saint-Germain French national football team | 2021/22 | 39 | 26 |
Robert Lewandowski | FC Bayern Munich | 2019/20 | 55 | 10 |
Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid Portuguese national football team | 2013/14 | 51 | 17 |
Luis Suárez | FC Barcelona Uruguayan national football team | 2015/16 | 59 | 24 |
Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona Argentinian national football team | 2011/12 | 73 | 32 |
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10. Roy Makaay - 51 goals and assists
In 2004/05, Roy Makaay of Bayern Munich led the football world with 34 goals and 17 assists in 48 match appearances. At the time of writing, Makaay is a retired centre forward remembered for his contribution to Bayern Munich’s German Championship, and German Cup campaigns and Deportivo de La Coruña’s Spanish Champion, Spanish Cup, and Spanish Super Cup wins. The three-time highest goal scorer for Bayern Munich received the 2002/03 Golden Boot after scoring 29 shots in La Liga.
- Full name: Rudolphus Antonius Makaay
- Date of birth: March 9, 1975
- Age: 48 years old as of March 2024
- Clubs played for: Vitesse Arnhem, CD Tenerife, Deportivo de La Coruña, Bayern Munich, Feyenoord Rotterdam
Source: Getty Images
9. Thierry Henry - 60 goals and assists
Thierry Henry took the top seat in 2002/03 after leading Arsenal FC to 32 scores and 28 assists in 55 Premier League appearances. At the time, the 24-year-old centre-forward was a force to reckon with. He would go on to win six top scorer awards and eight Footballer of the Year titles across various major leagues.
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Thierry also takes the crown with one of the most goal contributions in a season in the Premier League records, a feat he shares with Erling Haaland and Luis Suárez. In 2004/05, he scored 25 shots with 14 assists and recorded 24 goals with 20 assists in the 2002/03 season.
- Full name: Thierry Daniel Henry
- Date of birth: August 17, 1977
- Age: 46 years old as of March 2024
- Clubs played for: FC Versailles 78 Youth, AS Monaco, Juventus FC, Arsenal FC, FC Barcelona, New York Red Bulls
Source: Getty Images
8. Henrik Larsson - 61 goals and assists
Henrik Larsson is a Swedish footballer who played for Feyenoord, Barcelona, Celtic, Helsingborgs IF, and Man Utd. In 2003/04, the centre forward scored 41 shots with 20 assists across various major competitions, including the League Cup, SFA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Cup, and the Premiership. In 2000/01, he topped the list of elite players with the most goals in a single football season after scoring 53 goals with two assists.
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- Full name: Henrik Edward Larsson
- Date of birth: September 20, 1971
- Age: 52 years old as of March 2024
- Clubs played for: Högaborgs BK, Helsingborgs IF, Feyenoord Rotterdam, Celtic FC, FC Barcelona, Manchester United
Source: Getty Images
7. Erling Haaland - 61 goals and assists
Over the course of his career, Haaland has been considered the best player of all time. The striker had the most goal contributions in a single Premier League season in 2022/23 with 36 goals and 8 assists.
His performance in the 2022/23 season for Manchester City and Norway's national football team is proof of it. The 2022/23 UEFA Best Player in Europe led Manchester to an English Champion win and a Champions League title.
- Full name: Erling Braut Haaland
- Date of birth: July 21, 2000
- Age: 23 years old as of March 2024
- Current team: Manchester City
- Clubs played for: Bryne FK, Molde FK, Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund
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Source: Getty Images
6. Jardel - 63 goals and assists
In the 2001/02 season, Mário de Jardel Almeida Ribeiro or simply Jardel of Sporting CP led the football world in goal contributions. The retired forward scored 55 shots with 8 assists in 41 matches for Sporting CP and Galatasaray. In 1999/00, the seven-time top goalscorer achieved a similar feat after contributing 49 shots for FC Porto and the Brazilian national team.
- Full name: Mário de Jardel Almeida Ribeiro
- Date of birth: September 18, 1973
- Age: 52 years old as of March 2024
- Clubs played for: Bolton Wanderers, US Ancona, Goiás EC, Newcastle United Jets, Ferroviário AC, Cherno More Varna, Atlético Rio Clube, SC Beira-Mar, CA Newell's Old Boys, Sporting CP, Galatasaray, FC Porto, Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
Source: Getty Images
5. Kylian Mbappé - 65 goals and assists
In 2021/22, French football heavyweight Kylian Mbappé became the highest goal contributor in the world with 39 scores and 26 assists. At the time of writing, Kylian Mbappé has garnered 278 and 123 club career goals and assists.
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- Full name: Kylian Mbappé Lottin
- Date of birth: December 20, 1998
- Age: 25 years old as of March 2024
- Current team: Paris Saint-Germain
- Clubs played for: AS Bondy Youth, INF Clairefontaine Youth, AS Monaco Youth, AS Monaco
Source: Getty Images
4. Robert Lewandowski - 65 goals and assists
Lewandowski is one of football's living legends with the most goal contributions in a season ever. The Polish centre-forward enters the list of top goal contributors in fourth position with 55 scores and 10 assists for Bayern Munich in 2019/20.
In 2020/21, the twenty-time top goal scorer and two-time Golden Boot winner achieved the same status after scoring 48 shots with 9 assists playing for Bayern and the Polish national football team. The forward also has the most goal contributions in the 2020/21 Bundesliga season with 41 netted scores for Bayern Munich. German legend Thomas Müller set the record for the most assists in a Bundesliga season after helping set up 21 goals for Bayern Munich in 2019/20.
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- Full name: Robert Lewandowski
- Date of birth: August 21, 1988
- Age: 35 years old as of March 2024
- Current team: FC Barcelona
- Clubs played for: Delta Warszawa, Legia Warsaw II, Znicz Pruszkow, Lech Poznan, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich
Source: Getty Images
3. Cristiano Ronaldo - 68 goals and assists
In 2013/14, Cristiano Ronaldo won the title of the highest goal contributor for Real Madrid and the Portuguese national football team. His 51 shots and 17 assists led Real Madrid to the 2013/14 win of the Spanish Cup and the Champions League titles.
In 2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016-17 and 2017/18, he recorded the most goal contributions in a Champions League season. In light of his goal-scoring skills, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been awarded four Golden Boots, nineteen top scorer awards, and seven second-highest goalscorer awards over the course of his career.
- Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
- Date of birth: February 5, 1985
- Age: 39 years old as of March 2024
- Current team: Al-Nassr FC
- Clubs played for: CF Andorinha Youth, CD Nacional Youth, Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus FC
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Source: Getty Images
2. Luis Suarez - 84 goals and assists
In 2015/16, Suarez won the award for the most goal involvement while playing for FC Barcelona and the Uruguayan national football team. He also recorded one of the most goal contributions in the 2013/14 Premier League season with 31 scores and 12 assists. In 2009/10, the centre forward, who won seven top goalscorer awards from leagues such as Eredivisie, Premier League, Copa del Rey, and La Liga, topped the list with 73 goal contributions.
- Full name: Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz
- Date of birth: January 24, 1987
- Age: 36 years old as of March 2024
- Current team: Inter Miami CF
- Clubs played for: Club Nacional, FC Groningen, Ajax Amsterdam, Liverpool FC, FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, Inter Miami CF
Source: Getty Images
1. Lionel Messi - 105 goals and assists
Messi, the undisputed G.O.A.T, tops this list of the most goals scored in football history in one season. In 2011/12, the Argentinian winger netted 73 shots with 32 assists.
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Over the course of his career, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has received twenty-three top scorer awards from leagues and competitions he participated in. Lionel Messi's most goal contributions in a season began in 2010/11, and his reign continued from the 2014/15 season to the 2018/19.
- Full name: Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccitini
- Date of birth: June 24, 1987
- Age: 36 years old as of March 2024
- Current team: Inter Miami CF
- Clubs played for: FC Barcelona Youth, FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami CF
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
In football, scoring is an endeavour achieved by an entire team, with each player contributing uniquely. However, credit goes to players who net the shots, leading the team to victory. Here are some interesting facts about soccer players with the most goal contributions.
1. Who has the most goal contributions in football history of all time?
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Has anyone ever scored 1000 goals in football? The Guinness Book of World Records lists Pelé as the highest goal contributor of all time, with 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches. Here is a list of football players in the 21st century with the most goal contributions of all time as of March 2024.
Player | Career matches | Goal involvements | Goals | Assists |
Lionel Messi | 1,014 | 861 | 699 | 315 |
Cristiano Ronaldo | 1,004 | 985 | 727 | 258 |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 860 | 717 | 521 | 196 |
Luis Suárez | 713 | 714 | 459 | 255 |
Robert Lewandowski | 698 | 600 | 466 | 134 |
Thierry Henry | 716 | 559 | 369 | 190 |
Sergio Agüero | 733 | 545 | 414 | 131 |
Wayne Rooney | 864 | 534 | 364 | 179 |
Samuel Eto’o | 805 | 524 | 408 | 116 |
Karim Benzema | 735 | 513 | 337 | 176 |
2. Who has the most assists in football?
According to Transfermarkt, thirteen football players have recorded more than 200 assists since 2000. Lionel Messi tops this list with 319 assists. Neymar, who has recorded 116 assists in 266 matches, has the best assist-per-game ratio since 2000.
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3. Which player has the most goals and assists this season?
At the time of writing, Bayern Munich's centre forward, Harry Kane, is ranked highest among the top scorers in all competitions in the 2023/24 season with a record of 36 goals and 11 assists in 34 matches. Following closely is Viktor Gyökeres of Portugal's Sporting CP, with 33 goals and 12 assists across 37 matches.
Source: Getty Images
Final word
Each of the eleven positions in football plays a role in scoring. However, football players with the most goal contributions receive ultimate recognition for netting match-winning shots.
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