The most goals scored in a single season in history: Ronaldo 8th, Messi 2nd…

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are renowned for their goal-scoring prowess, but do they hold the record for most goals in a single season?

Let's dive into the all-time list of top scorers, featuring a mix of legendary players and modern-day superstars.

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1. Josef Bican (1943-44, Slavia Prague) - 76 goals. Also scored 63 in 1941-42, 60 in 1952. RSSSF recognizes him as one of three players (with Pelé, Romário) surpassing Messi and Ronaldo in total career goals.

2. Lionel Messi (2011-12, Barcelona) - 73 goals (50 in La Liga, 23 in other competitions). Won Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Supercopa, Copa del Rey; reached Champions League semi-finals.

3. Gerd Müller (1972-73, Bayern Munich) - 67 goals across all competitions. His Bundesliga record of 41 goals was broken by Lewandowski in 2020-21, but this all-competitions record stands.

=4. Pelé (1958, Santos/Brazil) - 66 goals. Led Brazil to their first World Cup at 17. Regarded as the best U-18 player ever, surpassing modern talents like Lamine Yamal.

=4. Romário (2000, Vasco da Gama) - 66 goals. Matched Pelé’s tally post-Europe. Formed a deadly duo with Edmundo; 1994 FIFA World Player of the Year.

5. Zico (1979, Flamengo) - 65 official goals (70 in 56 games, per some counts). Flamengo statisticians argued he outscored Messi’s 2012 tally, potentially exceeding 100 goals if counted similarly.

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6. Dixie Dean (1927-28, Everton) - 63 goals (60 in league, 3 in FA Cup). English goalscoring benchmark; Haaland hasn’t surpassed his league record.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo (2014-15, Real Madrid) - 61 goals, considered modest for his peak. Maintained a better-than-goal-per-game average over nine Real Madrid seasons.

8. Luis Suárez (2015-16, Barcelona) - 59 goals (40 in La Liga, 19 elsewhere). Broke Messi’s streak as Barcelona’s top scorer in 11 of 12 seasons.

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9. Fernando Peyroteo (1945-46, Sporting) - 56 goals in 35 games. Career 1.62 goals/game average; retired at 31 with 5 Primeira Liga titles during wartime.