In the past 12 months, the one gaming league that has undoubtedly drawn the attention of the entire footballing fraternity is the Saudi Pro League. The course of the football association from the Middle East changed overnight with the inclusion of the Portuguese maestro Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2023. And, with multiple players kicking their way up the ladder, you must be curious about the top scorers of the Saudi Pro League in 2023-24.
It all started when Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world) acquired 75 per cent stakes in four founding members of the Saudi Pro League (Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr) in June 2023. The acquisition came with a significant cash influx in the league, which equipped the teams with adequate financial resources to sign some of the best players in the world of football.
With top talents like Karim Benzema (winner of the 2022 Ballon d’Or award), Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino and Neymar Jr. making their way to Saudi Arabia from Europe, one thing became absolutely certain even before the league kicked off for the 2023-24 season — the race for the top goal scorer in the Saudi Pro League will be a close one that fans with witness with bated breaths.
Now that we are around two months into the 2023-24 season of the Saudi Pro League, take a look at the standings for the top goal scorers of the league.
Who are the top goal scorers of Saudi Pro League 2023-24?
Cristiano Ronaldo
Goals scored in 2023-24: 12
Arguably one of the most prolific goal scorers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo has proven to the world time and again why he ranks in the highest echelons of football history. Stamping his authority in almost every league he has ever featured in, Ronaldo became a pioneering figure in the history of Asian club football as he marked the dawn of a new chapter in the Saudi Pro League, leading the way for other star footballers from Europe to join him in the Middle East.
Even in the twilight of his career, Ronaldo has been able to take the Saudi Arabian league by storm. He scored 14 goals in the half-season that he featured in at the Riyadh-based club in 2022-23. While he couldn’t win a single piece of silverware last season, Ronaldo started off the 2023-24 campaign by leading Al-Nassr to its first-ever Arab Club Champions Cup title.
As of November 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo leads the list of the top goal scorers in the Saudi Pro League with 12 goals to his name for Al-Nassr, alongside five assists for goals, from 10 matches. Three of his 12 goals have come from penalty kicks.
Aleksander Mitrovic
Goals scored in 2023-24: 9
Tailing Ronaldo closely for the Golden Boot is Aleksander Mitrovic, the former Fulham striker, who has been in scintillating form since the start of the 2023-24 season. While the Serbian never got a chance to flourish on the grandest stage in European club football, the UEFA Champions League, he has still proven to be a handful in the English domestic circuit. In the 2022-23 season, Mitrovic found the back of the net 15 times in the Premier League.
As of November 2023, Mitrovic has scored nine goals in the Saudi Pro League along with two assists for goals from 10 matches. Among his nine goals, three have come from penalty kicks.
Anderson Talisca
Goals scored in 2023-24: 8 goals
Playing alongside Ronaldo in Al-Nassr, Anderson Talisca has proven to be a looming dexterity for the opposition goalkeeper from time to time. Ever since his move to Saudi Arabia from Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande in 2021, the Brazilian has been one of the most consistent performers for the Riyadh-based club, having scored 20 goals in back-to-back seasons. Even with Ronaldo and Sadio Mane hogging the limelight in the squad, Talisca remains an indomitable force in Luis Castro’s side.
As of November 2023, he has scored eight goals in the Saudi Pro League for the 2023-24 season from eight matches. He has also assisted for goals on two occasions.
Moussa Dembele
Goals scored in 2023-24: 7
Al-Ettifaq might consider the signing of former Liverpool player Jordan Henderson as the highlight of their 2023-24 summer transfer window, but with the passage of time, Moussa Dembele’s move to the Steven Gerrard-managed side on a free transfer from Olympique Lyonnais is proving to be an even bigger coup. The talismanic 27-year-old has already proved his mettle as a prolific marksman in the Ligue 1 and the Scottish Professional Football League and is now on his quest to make his mark in the Middle East.
As of November 2023, Dembele has scored seven goals in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 in eight matches and ranks among the top goal scorers of the league so far. He has also provided an assist for a goal in the said time period.
Mourad Batna
Goals scored in 2023-24: 7
Moroccan footballer Mourad Batna is not a new name in the Saudi Arabian footballing landscape. The 33-year-old African winger has been a part of Al-Fateh since 2020, and in 79 appearances for the club, he has found the back of the net on 28 occasions. Now, in a battle with some of the best players of his generation, Batna has shone exceptionally bright in the initial stages of the 2023-24 season of the Saudi Pro League.
As of November 2023, Batna has seven goals to his name in the Saudi Pro League in 2023-24 from 10 matches. One of his seven goals has come from a penalty kick. In addition, he has also assisted for a goal on five occasions in the 2023-24 season.
Salem Al-Dawsari
Goals scored in 2023-24: 7
The man who scored the winning goal in a FIFA World Cup match against Argentina in 2022, Saudi Arabian international player Salem Al-Dawsari is a veteran of the Saudi Pro League. At the age of 32, the winger from the Middle East has four Saudi Pro League titles (2016-17, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22) and two AFC Champions League crowns (2019 and 2021) in his trophy cabinet. He is now chasing some of the best footballers of the modern age for the Saudi Arabian League’s Golden Boot honour in the 2023-24 season.
Al-Dawsari, as of November 2023, has found the back of the net seven times in 12 matches in the 2023-24 season. He has also assisted for goals on two occasions.
Sadio Mane
Goals scored in 2023-24: 6
One of the most lethal forward-line players of his generation, Sadio Mane has enjoyed widespread success in both international and club football. The Senegalese professional footballer has won almost every major club football award he could in Europe during his time with Merseyside club Liverpool F.C. After a rather underwhelming stint with F.C. Bayern Munich in 2022-23 (he still ended up winning the Bundesliga and the DFL-Supercup with the German side), Mane moved to Al-Nassr in the 2023-24 summer transfer window. The African footballer has thrived ever since with Ronaldo as his partner-in-crime.
Mane scored six goals in the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League by November, ranking among the top goal scorers of the competition. In the nine matches that he has featured for the Riyadh-based club, Mane has also assisted for goal twice.
Malcolm
Goals scored in 2023-24: 6
After lifting the Russian Premier League title in 2022-23 with Zenit Saint Petersburg, Brazilian forward Malcolm moved to the Middle East in the 2023-24 summer transfer window to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. The attacking player, who was also the leading goal scorer for Zenit Saint Petersburg (and of the Russian Premier League) in 2022-23 with 23 goals to his name, has had an instant impact on the Saudi Arabian side, and fans are hoping for Malcolm to spearhead Al-Hilal’s title challenge this season.
As of November 2023, Malcolm ranks among the top goal scorers of the Saudi Pro League in 2023-24 with six goals in his ten appearances for Al-Hilal. He has also assisted for goal thrice.
Cristian Tello
Goals scored in 2023-24: 6
A former F.C. Barcelona and Real Betis player, Cristian Tello has a lot of experience playing in European club football. The Spanish striker joined Al-Fateh in 2023 and is among the top goal scorers of the competition in the Saudi Pro League in the 2023-24 season. As of November 2023, the Spanish forward player has six goals to his name from 11 matches that he has featured in for the Middle Eastern club. He has also provided an assist for a goal once.
Fashion Sakala
Goals scored in 2023-24: 6
Zambian international footballer Fashion Sakala has proven to be one of the rare finds of the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League. The former Rangers player, who now features for Al-Fayha, has found the back of the net six times in the Saudi Arabian league in the 12 matches he has played in 2023-24. One of his goals has come from penalty kicks. Sakala has also assisted for a goal on a solitary occasion.
Georges-Kevin N’Koudou
Goals scored in 2023-24: 6
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Besiktas winger Georges-Kevin N’Koudou has been on a purple patch of form in the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League. Playing for Saudi Arabian side Damac, the Cameroonian international forward player has scored six goals in the Middle Eastern league in 12 matches. He has scored one of his goals from penalty kicks. N’Koudou has also provided two assists for goals in the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League so far, and ranks among the top goal-scorers in the competition.
(Hero and Featured Images Credits: Courtesy Instagram/@Roshn Saudi League)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Who is the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24?
As of November 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 with 12 goals.
– Who is the all-time top scorer for Al-Nassr?
Mohammed Al-Sahlawi is the all-time top scorer for Al-Nassr with 123 goals to his name.
