Players with the most goals under 23: Erling Haaland recently celebrated his 23rd birthday, and has already made a name for himself as one of the best strikers in the world. The Norwegian ranks first for the most goals scored under 23. He has surpassed the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in earning the top spot for himself.
And given the way that his career has played out so far, he doesn’t look like slowing down anytime. By the time he reaches his physical prime, and has the experience of a veteran, he might claim all possible goalscoring records for himself. But for now, he still has a long way to go.
Here is the list of the players with the most goals scored under 23.
Players with the most goals under 23
4. Cristiano Ronaldo – 102 goals
The Portugal sensation won the Champions League with Manchester United upon turning 23 years old in 2008. He won the Ballon d’Or that year, and went on to join Real Madrid a year later as the most expensive player in the world during that time.
Since then, he has gone on to become Real Madrid’s top scorer of all-time, and has also established himself as the top scorer in the Champions League and in international football.
3. Lionel Messi – 140 goals
Lionel Messi spent his prime years with Barcelona, and won every single trophy available on multiple occasions. The Argentine scored 140 goals before turning 23, and went on to embark on the unparalleled period between 2010 and 2012.
Messi holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards won, with seven to his name. And now, he is playing with Inter Miami in what could be the last chapter of his career.
2. Kylian Mbappe – 198 goals
Mbappe made the move to PSG in 2017, when he was only 19 years old. And he has established himself as one of the pillars of the new generation. The Frenchman scored in the final of the 2018 World Cup, and went on to lift the trophy as well.
Since then, he has grown into one of the finest attackers in the world and has scored 198 goals before turning 23. Last summer, it seemed like his record would not be broken, but Mbappe now finds himself in second place for the most goals scored under 23.
1. Erling Haaland – 208 goals
Erling Haaland is the player with the most goals scored under 23 with 208 to his name. The striker moved to Manchester City last summer, and after a slow start to the season, he broke the record for the most goals scored in a single season of the Premier League with 36 to his name.
The Norwegian won the treble in his very first season with City, and ended the campaign with 56 goals across all competitions. In the process, overtaking Mbappe to rank number 1.
