After scoring 54 goals in 59 appearances in the last calendar year, Cristiano Ronaldo has continued his scintillating form in 2024.

Since signing for Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr FC, Cristiano Ronaldo has been one of the standout players for the club across competitions.

The Portuguese footballer started 2024 in emphatic fashion as he scored the solitary goal in Al-Nassr’s 1-0 win over Al-Fayha FC in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash in the AFC Champions League 2023-24 in February.

In the Saudi Pro League 2023-24, Ronaldo continued from where he left off last year, having scored 34 goals in just as many appearances in the league in 2023. He also registered 11 assists in the Saudi League in his debut season.

In 2024, the Madeira-born footballer netted his first goal in the league in their 2-1 victory over Al Fateh SC at their home in February.

Ronaldo continued his brilliant form in the AFC Champions League 2023-24 after he registered another strike in their 2-0 win against Al-Fayha FC in the second leg to guide Al-Nassr to the quarter-finals.

In the end of March and start of April, Ronaldo netted back-to-back hat-tricks in Saudi Pro League 2023-24.

The 39-year-old forward scored a hat-trick against Al-Tai FC on March 31, and followed it up with another hat-trick versus Abha Club in their 8-0 thrashing on April 3.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo produced another memorable performance after he scored a brace against Al-Khaleej to help Al-Nassr secure a 3-1 win in the King Cup of Champions semi-final.

The Al-Nassr captain netted his 66th career hat-trick against Al-Wehda in Saudi Pro League 2023-24.

Ronaldo has also recorded four strikes for the Portugal national team in 2024.

But just how many goals has Ronaldo scored in 2024? Here’s a closer look at all of Ronaldo’s so far this year.

How many goals has Ronaldo scored in 2024?

Ronaldo has scored 42 goals for club and country in 2024, including three hat-tricks for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Goal Number	Opponent	Competition	Date
1	Al-Fayha FC	AFC Champions League 2023-24	February 14
2	Al Fateh SC	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	February 17
3	Al-Fayha FC	AFC Champions League 2023-24	February 21
4	Al-Shabab FC	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	February 25
5	Al Ain FC	AFC Champions League 2023-24	March 12
6	Al-Ahli Saudi FC	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	March 16
7	Al-Tai FC	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	March 31
8	Al-Tai FC	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	March 31
9	Al-Tai FC	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	March 31
10	Abha Club	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	April 3
11	Abha Club	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	April 3
12	Abha Club	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	April 3
13	Al-Khaleej Club	King Cup of Champions	May 1
14	Al-Khaleej Club	King Cup of Champions	May 1
15	Al Wehda FC	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	May 4
16	Al Wehda FC	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	May 4
17	Al Wehda FC	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	May 4
18	Al Akhdoud	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	May 9
19	Al-Ittihad	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	May 27
20	Al-Ittihad	Saudi Pro League 2023-24	May 27
21	Ireland	International Friendly	June 11
22	Ireland	International Friendly	June 11
23	Al-Taawoun	Saudi Super Cup 2024	August 14
24	Al-Hilal	Saudi Super Cup 2024	August 17
25	Al-Raed	Saudi Pro League 2024-25	August 22
26	Al-Fayha	Saudi Pro League 2024-25	August 27
27	Croatia	UEFA Nations League 2024-25	September 6
28	Scotland	UEFA Nations League 2024-25	September 9
29	Al-Ettifaq	Saudi Pro League 2024-25	September 20
30	Al-Wehda	Saudi Pro League 2024-25	September 27
31	Al-Rayyan SC	AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25	September 30
32	Al-Orobah FC	Saudi Pro League 2024-25	October 5
33	Poland	UEFA Nations League 2024-25	October 13
34	Al-Shabab FC	Saudi Pro League 2024-25	October 18
35	Al Ain FC	AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25	November 5
36	Poland	UEFA Nations League 2024-25	November 16
37	Poland	UEFA Nations League 2024-25	November 16
38	Al Qadsiah FC	Saudi Pro League 2024-25	November 22
39	Al-Gharafa SC	AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25	November 25
40	Al-Gharafa SC	AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25	November 25
41	Damac FC	Saudi Pro League 2024-25	November 29
42	Damac FC	Saudi Pro League 2024-25	November 29

Photo credit: Alamy

Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr will lock horns with Qatari football club Al Sadd in their upcoming AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 clash at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday, December 2.

The Al-Nassr vs Al Sadd, AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match will start at 11:30 PM IST. Live streaming and telecast of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match will be available in India.

Under the tutelage of manager Stefano Pioli, Al-Nassr will head into the AFC Champions League Elite match high on confidence after registering a comprehensive 2-0 win over Damac FC in the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 at home on Friday.

Captain Cristiano Ronaldo continued his impressive goal-scoring form as he netted a brace to help Al-Nassr bag three crucial points from the game. Ronaldo has already recorded 15 goals and three assists in just 18 appearances for Al-Nassr across all competitions this season.

Furthermore, Al-Nassr are unbeaten in the ongoing AFC Champions League Elite so far. 

Al-Nassr secured a 3-1 against Qatari outfit Al-Gharafa in their last game in the continental club football competition.

Ronaldo scored two goals while Angelo Gabriel also found the back of the net for Al-Nassr. 

Having registered four wins and one draw, Al-Nassr are currently placed third in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 Group B with 13 points from five games.

On the other hand, Al Sadd will look to return to winning ways after they were held to a 1-1 draw against Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal SFC in their previous fixture in the AFC Champions League Elite.

Substitute Paulo Otávio Rosa Silva salvaged a crucial point for Al Sadd after Ali Albulayhi opened the scoring for Al-Hilal in the 10th minute of the game.

With two wins and three draws, Al Sadd are currently placed fifth in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 Group B standings with nine points from five matches.

Led by Spanish head coach Felix Sanchez, Al Sadd have also secured seven victories and suffered three defeats in the ongoing Qatar Stars League.

Having accumulated 21 points from 10 games, Al Sadd are second in the Qatar Stars League 2024-25 standings, four points behind league leaders Al-Duhail SC.

Al-Nassr vs Al Sadd head-to-head record

The Al-Nassr vs Al Sadd head-to-head record favours the Saudi Arabian club. Al-Nassr have won three of the eight matches that they have played against each other. Al Sadd have registered two victories while as many as three games have ended in draws.

The last time these two sides met, Al-Nassr beat Al Sadd 2-1 in an AFC Champions League Group D match in April 2021.

Abderrazak Hamdallah and Abdulelah Al-Amri scored a goal each for Al-Nassr while Santi Cazorla netted the solitary goal for Al Sadd.

Where to watch Al-Nassr vs Al Sadd AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 live in India

The Al-Nassr vs Al Sadd AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 will be telecast live on Sports18 Network’s TV channel in India.

Live streaming of the Al-Nassr vs Al Sadd AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 will be available on the FanCode app and website.

Photo credit: Imago

Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr will lock horns with Qatari football club Al-Gharafa  in their upcoming AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 clash at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar on Monday, November 25.

The Al-Gharafa vs Al-Nassr, AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match will start at 9:30 PM IST. Live streaming and telecast of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match will be available in India.

Under Italian manager Stefano Pioli, Al-Nassr will aim to bounce back after suffering a 1-2 defeat against Al Qadsiah FC in their previous game in the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 on Friday.

However, Al-Nassr are unbeaten in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 so far. Led by their talismanic captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr thrashed Al Ain FC 5-1 in their last game in the continental club football competition.

Talisca netted a brace while Cristiano Ronaldo, Wesley and an own goal from Fabio Cardoso powered Al-Nassr to a massive win.

With three wins and one draw, Al-Nassr are currently placed third in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 Group B with 10 points from four games.

On the other hand, Al-Gharafa will head into the game high on confidence after they defeated Al-Wakrah SC 3-1 in the Qatar Stars League 2024-25 on Friday.

The Qatari outfit rode on goals from Ahmed Al Ganehi, Joselu and an own goal from Lucas Mendes to bag three crucial points from the game.

Earlier, Al-Gharafa were held to a 1-1 draw by Iranian side Persepolis in their previous AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 encounter.

Having registered one win, one draw and two defeats, Al-Gharafa are currently placed sixth in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 Group B standings.

All eyes will once again be on Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been in sensational form in 2024. The 39-year-old has netted 38 goals in 48 appearances in the calendar year.

Organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the revamped AFC Champions League Elite is witnessing 24 teams compete in the inaugural edition of the competition. 

As per the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 format, these 24 teams have been divided into 12-team leagues in East and West Asia, with each team playing eight games against different opponents after a computer-assisted draw in the brand new league phase. 

The top eight teams from each region will advance to the Round of 16. The final stage of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 will be played in Saudi Arabia from April 25 to May 4.

The winner of the inaugural AFC Champions League Elite will qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025 and FIFA Club World Cup.

Furthermore, the AFC Champions League Elite winner will enter the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite 2025-25, if they have not already qualified through domestic performance.

Al-Gharafa vs Al-Nassr head-to-head record

This will be the first meeting between Al-Gharafa and Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite competition.

Where to watch Al-Gharafa vs Al-Nassr AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 live in India

The Al-Gharafa vs Al-Nassr AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 will be telecast live on Sports18 Network’s TV channel in India.

Live streaming of the Al-Gharafa vs Al-Nassr AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 will be available on the FanCode app and website.

Photo credit: Imago

Lionel Messi equalled the record for the most assists in international football in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Peru in Buenos Aires on November 19, 2024.

During their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers clash against Peru, Lionel Messi set up Lautaro Martinez’s sensational goal to register his 58th assist for the Argentina national football team and also match the record for the most assists in international football with United States men's national team legend Landon Donovan.

Former American footballer Landon Donovan also recorded 58 assists in his illustrious international football career.

Brazil national football team talisman Neymar is second on the list for the most assists in international football. He has already accumulated 57 assists in 126 appearances. 

The likes of Ferenc Puskas (53), Sandor Kocsis (50), Kevin De Bruyne (49), Pele (47), Mesut Ozil (40), Cristiano Ronaldo (37) and David Beckham (36) feature next on the legendary list.

Know players with the most assists in international football.

Most assists in international football

Player	Team	Appearances	Assists
Landon Donovan	USA	157	58
Lionel Messi	Argentina	190	58
Neymar	Brazil	126	57
Ferenc Puskas	Hungary	85	53
Sandor Kocsis	Hungary	68	50
Kevin De Bruyne	Belgium	107	49
Pele	Brazil	92	47
Mesut Ozil	Germany	92	40
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	217	37
David Beckham	England	115	36

Landon Donovan | 58 assists

Landon Donovan previously held the record for the most assists in international football. Considered to be one of the greatest American football players of all time, Landon Donovan recorded 58 assists in 157 appearances between 2000 and 2014. Interestingly, Landon Donovan also shares the record with Clint Dempsey for the most international goals scored by a male USA player (57).

Lionel Messi | 58 assists

Lionel Messi recently matched Landon Donovan’s record for the most assists in international football. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Lionel Messi has accumulated 58 assists in 190 appearances for La Albiceleste. Additionally, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner also features second in the all-time top international goalscorers list behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi has netted 112 goals for Argentina while Ronaldo tops the list with 135 goals.

Neymar | 57 assists

Former Brazil captain Neymar features third on the list for the most assists in international football. Widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation, Neymar has amassed 57 assists in just 126 appearances for the Brazil national football team. Furthermore, Neymar is Brazil's all-time top goalscorer in international football with 79 goals, two more than legendary Pele.

Photo credit: Imago 

International Football often finds itself in the periphery with club games and competitions dominating the international calendar. 

Though it takes the front seat during World Cups and continental championships, the number of games played otherwise are few and far between in international football compared to club games. 

Also, the qualifiers for major tournaments and international friendlies do not happen regularly. So players have to hit the ground running to quickly get used to the prevailing system and to sync up with other players in the national set-up.

As a result, it becomes difficult to get things on track and churn out wins for their national side, even for highly skilled players. The number of matches and wins in a player’s international career will be much less compared to their club numbers.

In that light, a player with more than a hundred wins would have had a long career at the international level achieving something special. It is not often that we come across players having such levels of longevity and consistency, which is also an ode to their fitness levels.

Having said that, let us glance through the list of players with the most wins in international football.

Most wins by a player in international football

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo leads the list of players with the most wins in international football with 132 victories. The Spanish duo of Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas are second and third, respectively, with 131 and 121 wins.

Argentine Lionel Messi is fourth on the list with 119 wins in international football.

Most wins by a player in international football

Player	Country	International wins
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	132
Sergio Ramos	Spain	131
Iker Casillas	Spain	121
Lionel Messi	Argentina	119

Cristiano Ronaldo | 132 wins

Cristiano Ronaldo is on top of the list of players with the most wins in international football having won 132 matches for Portugal. 

The 39-year-old Ronaldo made his senior debut with Portugal in August 2003 at the age of 18. He went on to represent his country in six European Championships, the most by any player, and five World Cups.

Ronaldo also led Portugal to the UEFA EURO 2016 title, their first major title in international football. He is also on top of the scoring charts in the international scene with 135 goals.  

Sergio Ramos | 131 wins

Sergio Ramos is second on the list of players with the most wins in international football with 131 victories for Spain. He made his debut for Spain’s senior side in an international friendly against China in March 2005.

The former Real Madrid defender was part of the golden generation of Spanish football that won three major titles in a row from 2008 to 2012. He was part of the team that won back-to-back European championships in 2008 and 2012 along with the World Cup in between, in 2010.

Ramos also has a tally of 23 goals from 180 senior appearances for Spain.

Iker Casillas | 121 wins

Iker Casillas, who was the captain of the Spanish football team during their golden reign, is in third place for most wins by a player in international football with 121 victories in his career. 

The former Real Madrid goalkeeper made his senior debut in June 2000 and went on to lift three consecutive major trophies with Spain from 2008 to 2012. He kept a clean sheet in each of the final matches in those tournaments.

Spain notched up identical 1-0 wins over Germany in the EURO 2008 final and against the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final before thrashing Italy 4-0 in the final of EURO 2012.

Photo credit: Imago

Hosts Portugal will welcome Poland in a Group A1 match of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto on Saturday, November 16.

The Portugal vs Poland UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will start at 01:15 AM IST on Saturday. Live streaming and telecast of the match will be available in India.

Portugal are yet to lose in the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 edition and are currently on top of Group A1 with 10 points following three wins and a draw after the first four rounds. 

Meanwhile, Poland are third in the group with four points after a win, two losses and a draw.

The Portuguese started their UEFA Nations League 2024-25 campaign with identical 2-1 victories over Croatia and Scotland in their first two rounds in September. 

The Cristiano Ronaldo-led side made it three wins in a row after beating Poland 3-1 away from home.

Portugal step into this contest after a goalless draw at Scotland in their fourth-round match last month. They need a solitary point from the remaining two rounds to seal their entry into the knockout stage of the current Nations League campaign.

Ronaldo has been in good form for Portugal up front, finding the target three times from the first four rounds of the competition. Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot have also scored a goal apiece.

Poland, on the other hand, have gone off track with consecutive defeats to Croatia and Portugal after initiating their campaign with a thrilling 3-2 win over Scotland. 

However, they will travel to Porto with the confidence of a hard-earned 3-3 draw against Croatia having trailed 3-1 early in the match.

The last two rounds of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 will be very crucial for Poland as they need maximum points to have any chance of making it to the next stage. 

In case Poland fails to win against Portugal and Croatia beat Scotland, then it will be the end of the road for the Robert Lewandowski-led side.

Portugal are currently seventh in the FIFA Men’s football rankings whereas Poland are placed 31st as per the latest list.

The UEFA Nations League 2024-25 has a total of 54 teams, split into four leagues based on their international ranking. Three leagues A, B and C contain four groups of four teams each whereas League D has two groups of three teams.

Teams in League A will vie for the UEFA Nations League Final that is scheduled to be held in June 2025. All the four group winners and runners-up in League A will play a double-legged quarter-finals with the winners proceeding to play the semi-finals.

Incidentally, Portugal won the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League with a 1-0 win over the Netherlands at the same venue in Porto in June 2019.

Portugal vs Poland football head-to-head

Portugal holds an upper hand over Poland in their head-to-head record with seven wins from 14 matches, including their 3-1 win in the ongoing UEFA Nations League last month.

Meanwhile, Poland have won three games with their last win coming in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers when they beat Portugal 2-1 in October 2006. Four matches have ended in draws.

Where to watch Portugal vs Poland UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match live in India

The Portugal vs Poland UEFA Nations League 2024-25 football match will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Networks TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Portugal vs Poland UEFA Nations League 2024-25 football match will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Photo credit: Imago

The much-anticipated Ballon d'Or 2024 ceremony will take place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France on Tuesday, October 29 (as per IST). The annual European football awards ceremony will kickstart at 1:15 AM IST.

Similar to 2023, this year will witness the prestigious award being presented to the best player based on their performance in the previous footballing season, from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024.

Apart from the 68th Ballon d'Or, the Women's Ballon d'Or will be given to the best female player, and the Kopa Trophy will be handed over to the best male player in the under-21 age category. The Yashin Trophy, named after Russian goalkeeping legend Lev Yashin, will be given to the best goalkeeper in the men's category.

The Real Madrid duo of Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior headline the favourites list with their envious double of the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League with the club. Bellingham also played a key role in England’s journey to their second consecutive final in the UEFA EURO Championship in 2024 with two goals in the competition.

Dani Carvajal, apart from winning the double with Bellingham and Vinicius at Real Madrid, was part of the Spain side that won the UEFA Euro 2024.

Rodri, who was the Player of the Tournament in Spain’s winning campaign at Euro 2024, also won the English Premier League for a fourth consecutive year with Manchester City. Rodri’s clubmate Erling Haaland who won the second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot award with 27 goals from 31 matches is also in the fray.

17-year-old Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal, who was part of the Spanish team in Euro 2024 and the England duo of Phil Foden and Harry Kane are the other competitors among the nominees. Here is the full list of nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony.

Ballon d'Or 2024 nominees

• Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
• Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Türkiye, Inter)
• Dani Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid)
• Rúben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City)
• Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine, Dnipro / Girona / Roma)
• Phil Foden (England, Manchester City)
• Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
• Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
• Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund)
• Harry Kane (England, Bayern München)
• Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
• Ademola Lookman (Nigeria, Atalanta)
• Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
• Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)
• Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint-Germain / Real Madrid)
• Martin Ødegaard (Norway, Arsenal)
• Dani Olmo (Spain, Leipzig / Barcelona)
• Cole Palmer (England, Manchester City / Chelsea)
• Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
• Rodri (Spain, Manchester City)
• Antonio Rüdiger (Germany, Real Madrid)
• Bukayo Saka (England, Arsenal)
• William Saliba (France, Arsenal)
• Federico Valverde (Uruguay, Real Madrid)
• Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
• Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
• Nico Williams (Spain, Athletic Club)
• Florian Wirtz (Germany, Bayer Leverkusen)
• Granit Xhaka (Switzerland, Bayer Leverkusen)
• Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)

It will be the first time since 2003 that both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo do not feature in the list of nominees for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award. The duo have a total of 13 awards among them with Messi winning a record eight times including in the last year. 

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times with his latest win coming in 2017.

Where to watch Ballon d’Or 2024 live in India

Live telecast of the Ballon d’Or 2024 ceremony will be available on the Sony Sports Network’s TV channels in India. 

Live streaming of the Ballon d’Or 2024 ceremony will be available on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

Photo credit: Imago

Club Football requires a player to be on top of his game consistently over several seasons. It is always an onerous task to constantly rake in goals match after match, season after season.

European clubs hold an elite position in the hierarchy of club football all over the globe with the best talents in the world plying their trade in Europe. As a result, the quality of the game is also at the highest level in the top European Leagues when compared to other leagues.

Strikers have the thankless job of scoring goals for their teams and keeping them in the hunt to win domestic titles. It requires them to be in the prime of their game for extended periods for the clubs to get results consistently. 

On that note, let us glance through the list of players with the most goals in Europe’s top five leagues.

Most goals in Europe’s top five leagues

Former Barcelona player Lionel Messi leads the list of players with the most goals in Europe’s top five leagues with 496 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo is second with 495 goals while Robert Lewandowsk is third with 366 goals.

Most goals in Europe's top five leagues

Player	Country	Goals
Lionel Messi	Argentina	496
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	495
Robert Lewandowski	Poland	366
Gerd Muller	Germany	365
Jimmy Greaves	England	357

Lionel Messi | 496 goals

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi leads the list of players with most goals in Europe’s top five leagues with 496 goals. The former Barcelona player scored a major chunk of these goals during his stay at the Catalan club for 17 seasons from 2004 to 2021.

Messi scored his first goal for Barcelona in May 2005 and went on to find the net 474 times from 520 appearances in the Spanish League. He has amassed 30 goals or more in nine of his 17 seasons, including a magical 50 goals in a single season in 2011-12.

In his two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi scored 22 goals from 58 appearances for the French club. Messi has won 12 domestic league titles in Europe, 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona and two Ligue 1 titles with PSG. 

Cristiano Ronaldo | 495 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo is second on the list of footballers with the most goals in Europe’s top five leagues with a tally of 495 goals. Ronaldo has been part of teams from three of the five top leagues in Europe. He has represented Manchester United in England, Real Madrid in Spain and Juventus in Italy in his stellar club football career.

The Portuguese player has a whopping aggregate of 311 goals for Real Madrid in nine seasons with them and also won two La Liga titles. Ronaldo has also scored 103 goals in the Premier League with Manchester United helping them to three consecutive domestic titles from 2007 to 2009.

In his stint with Juventus in Italy, Ronaldo found the net 81 times winning the Serie A title in his first two years with the club.

Robert Lewandowski | 366 goals

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is third on the elite list of goal scorers in Europe’s top five leagues with 366 goals. Lewandowski has a total of 312 goals in Germany, 238 with Bayern Munich and 74 goals with Borussia Dortmund, and an envious collection of 10 Bundesliga titles.

With Barcelona, the striker has amassed 54 goals in only his third season with the Catalan giants and won the La Liga title with them in 2022-23.

Gerd Muller | 365 goals

Bayern Munich and Germany’s legendary striker Gerd Muller is next on the list of players with the most goals in Europe’s top five leagues with 365 strikes. All of Muller’s goals have come for Bayern Munich in 14 seasons from 1965-66 to 1978-79.

Muller played a key role in powering Bayern Munich to four domestic titles, including consecutive wins for three seasons from 1972 to 1974. He also won the European Cup for three consecutive seasons with the Bavarians. 

Photo credit: Imago

Esteghlal FC will meet Al-Nassr in an AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match at the Al-Rashid Stadium in Dubai on Tuesday, October 22.

The Esteghlal vs Al-Nassr AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match will start at 9:30 PM IST on Tuesday. Live streaming and telecast of the match will be available in India.

Esteghlal enter the contest after a 0-3 defeat at the hands of Zob Ahan in the Persian Gulf Pro League. 

The Tehran-based team, who finished second in last year’s domestic campaign, are currently struggling in 11th spot with eight points from seven matches.

Esteghlal also suffered a 0-2 defeat against Qatar’s Al Sadd SC in their last outing in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 last month. They are currently fifth in Group B with three points from a win and a loss after their first two games.

Meanwhile, Al-Nassr head into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Al-Shabab in the Saudi Pro League with Cristiano Ronaldo and Aymeric Laporte scoring in their away win on Friday. 

With five wins and two draws, Al Nassr are third in the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 season with 17 points.

In the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25, Al Nassr beat Al Rayyan of Qatar 2-1 in their last league game with Ronaldo scoring in that match as well. 

They have four points from a win and a loss and are in the fourth spot in Group B of the continental tournament.

Esteghlal will have its task cut out as Al-Nassr are unbeaten in their last 10 games.

Organised by the Asian Football Confederation, the AFC Champions League Elite is an annual continental club football competition with Asia’s top-division football clubs taking part in it.

The AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 has a total of 24 teams split into two groups, the East region and the West region. Each team will play against eight opponents, four at home and four away, during the league phase. 

The top eight teams advance from each group advance to the round of 16 where each club will face a team from the same region in a double-legged home and away tie to decide the last eight teams that will advance further in the knockout phase.

The quarter-final, semi-final and final of the tournament will be a one-legged affair at centralised venues with teams from opposite regions meeting in the last eight stage.

Esteghlal FC vs Al-Nassr head-to-head

There is nothing to separate Esteghlal and Al-Nassr in their head-to-head record with both sides winning once in their two meetings. Esteghlal and Al-Nassr won their respective home games against each other by an identical 2-1 margin in the group stage of the AFC Champions League 2011.

Where to watch Esteghlal FC vs Al-Nassr, AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match live in India

The Esteghlal vs Al-Nassr AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match will be telecast live on the Sports 18 Network’s TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Esteghlal vs Al-Nassr AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match will be available on the FanCode app and website in India.

Photo credit: Imago

Football is a game that is always decided by the number of goals scored. The team that scores more goals in a match is declared the winner and gets maximum points or progresses further in the knockout phase of the tournament.

Irrespective of the style of football a team plays, the amount of possession they keep during the game or the number of passes they complete, it is the team that scores more goals that wins the contest. 

In that light, the role played by a forward or the goal-scorer during a match is immense. The player helps the side gain an advantage over their opponent by finding the back of the net. 

Keeping that in mind, here’s a look at the players with the most goals in UEFA Nations League 2024-25.

Top scorers in UEFA Nations League 2024-25

Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden, Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu of Turkiye and Benjamin Sesko of Slovenia share the honours in the list of top scorers in the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 with four goals each from four matches. Razvan Marin of Romania and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal follow with three goals each.

Top scorers in UEFA Nations League 2024-25

Player	Country	Goals
Viktor Gyokeres	Sweden	4
Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu	Turkiye	4
Benjamin Sesko	Slovenia	4
Razvan Marin	Romania	3
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	3

Viktor Gyokeres (Sweden)

Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden leads the list of goal scorers in the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 with four goals from four games. He scored from a penalty to open his account in Sweden’s 3-1 win over Azerbaijan in their UEFA Nations League 2024-25 opener.

The 26-year-old Sporting CP forward continued his form, scoring a brace against Estonia in the second game of Group 1 in League C as Sweden completed a comfortable 3-0 win.

Though Gyokeres could not find the net in Sweden’s 2-2 draw against Slovakia, he was back on the score sheet in Sweden’s 3-0 win against Estonia in their fourth game.

Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Turkiye)

Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu of Turkiye is next on the list of top goal scorers with four goals from four matches in the UEFA Nations League 2024-25. 

Aktürkoğlu was the architect of a stunning turnaround for Turkiye after their UEFA Nations League 2024-25 campaign started with a goalless draw at Wales. Aktürkoğlu, who plies his trade in club football with Benfica, scored a hattrick in Turkiye’s 3-1 win over Iceland in their second game in Group 4 of League B. 

The 25-year-old winger again scored in a 4-2 win in Turkiye’s reverse fixture against Iceland.

Benjamin Sesko (Slovenia)

Slovenia’s Benjamin Sesko joins the duo at the top of the goal-scoring charts in the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 with four goals from four games. Sesko scored from the spot in Slovenia’s 1-1 draw against Austria in their opener in Group 3 of League B in the Nations League.

Sesko plays as a forward for German club RB Leipzig and continued his goal-scoring spree with a hattrick in Slovenia’s 3-0 win against Kazakhstan in the next game.

Photo credit: Imago