Argentina captain Lionel Messi remains the record holder for the most goals scored in a calendar year, having netted an astonishing 91 times in 2012.\n<\/p>\n
Messi achieved the feat while playing for Barcelona and the Argentina national team, setting a record that has remained unmatched.\n<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old\u2019s remarkable achievement continues to stand out among football\u2019s greatest individual scoring performances, with several legendary players also featuring on the all-time list.\n<\/p>\n
According to a ranking published by Planet Football on Friday, England captain Harry Kane is enjoying an impressive 2026 campaign, with 55 goals to his name, bringing him closer to the all-time top 10.<\/p>\n
However, the Bayern Munich striker still has work to do to join the exclusive list of players who have scored at least 62 goals in a calendar year.\n<\/p>\n
Brazilian legend Pele features three times on the list, highlighting his extraordinary goalscoring ability during his playing career.\n<\/p>\n
Below is the list of the players with the most goals scored in a calendar year:<\/p>\n
10. Pele \u2013 64 goals (1959)<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Pele recorded 64 goals in 51 appearances for Santos and Brazil in 1959, securing his place among football\u2019s most prolific calendar-year goalscorers.\n<\/p>\n 9. Kylian Mbappe \u2013<\/strong> 62 goals (2025)\n<\/p>\n French forward Kylian Mbappe scored 62 goals in 2025, earning a place among the highest goalscorers in a single calendar year.\n<\/p>\n Joint 7th. Cristiano Ronaldo \u2013 69 goals (2013)<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Ronaldo enjoyed the most prolific calendar year of his career in 2013, scoring 69 goals in 59 appearances for club and country.<\/p>\n Despite his impressive individual performance, he ended the year without a major team trophy but won the Ballon d\u2019Or.<\/p>\n Joint 7th. Robert Lewandowski \u2013 69 goals (2021)<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n The Polish striker scored 69 goals in 2021, enjoying an outstanding year with Bayern Munich.\n<\/p>\n His performances helped the German club win several trophies, including the Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.\n<\/p>\n Lewandowski also finished second in the Ballon d\u2019Or voting behind Lionel Messi.\n<\/p>\n 6. Romario \u2013 72 goals (2000)<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Brazilian forward Romario scored 72 goals in 2000 while playing for Vasco da Gama and representing Brazil.\n<\/p>\n Remarkably, he maintained his goalscoring form into his later years before retiring from professional football in 2009.<\/p>\n 5. Zico \u2013 72 goals (1979)<\/strong> <\/p>\n Brazilian football legend Zico recorded 72 goals in 1979 while playing for Flamengo and the national team.\n<\/p>\n Despite not being an out-and-out striker, he demonstrated exceptional attacking ability throughout the year.\n<\/p>\n 4. Pele \u2013 72 goals (1965)<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Pele makes his second appearance on the list with 72 goals in 1965.\n<\/p>\n The Brazilian legend enjoyed an outstanding campaign, scoring 49 goals in 28 league appearances, averaging 1.75 goals per game.\n<\/p>\n 3. Pele \u2013 75 goals (1958)<\/strong><\/p>\n Pele\u2019s remarkable 1958 campaign saw him score 75 goals in a calendar year.\n<\/p>\n The Brazilian teenager also helped his country win the FIFA World Cup in Sweden, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final and final.\n<\/p>\n 2. Gerd Muller \u2013 85 goals (1972)<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n German striker Gerd Muller scored 85 goals in 1972, setting a remarkable calendar-year record that stood until Messi surpassed it in 2012.\n<\/p>\n Muller also helped West Germany win the European Championship, scoring twice in the final as his country defeated the Soviet Union 3-0.\n<\/p>\n 1. Lionel Messi \u2013 91 goals (2012)<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Messi occupies the top position with 91 goals scored in 2012 while playing for Barcelona and Argentina.<\/p>\n The Argentine superstar broke Gerd Muller\u2019s previous record of 85 goals, producing one of the most extraordinary individual scoring performances in football history.\n<\/p>\n Speaking about the achievement in an interview with ESPN, Messi said he never played football with the intention of breaking individual records.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIn 2012, I scored around 91 goals,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t play for that, I never cared about it. It wasn\u2019t in my mind to make an assist just to break a record or surpass someone else.\u201d\n<\/p>\n He added that choosing his best year was difficult because he had enjoyed several outstanding seasons throughout his career.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to choose one year as my best; thankfully I\u2019ve had many very good ones,\u201d Messi said.\n<\/p>\n With 91 goals in a single calendar year, Messi remains comfortably ahead of other football greats, while Kane\u2019s impressive 2026 form has brought renewed attention to the remarkable scoring achievements.<\/p>\n Source: <\/p>\n Argentina captain Lionel Messi remains the record holder for the most goals scored in a calendar year, having netted an astonishing 91 times in 2012. 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