The 2021 FIFA Club World Cup got underway on 3 February in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with six champion clubs from six confederations competing with the host nation’s national champions.
Few games have already taken place, with many fans eagerly anticipating the Champions League winners, Chelsea, to kick off their season on February 9 against the victors of the game between Al Jazira and Al Hilal.
Here are the top 10 highest goal scorers in the history of the FIFA Club World Cup
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Matches: 8
Goals: 7
Editions: 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017
Cristiano Ronaldo, like Messi, is largely recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. The 36-year-old scored his 800th goal for club and country just a few weeks ago. Seven of these goals have come in the Club World Cup, the most in the competition’s history by any player.
Except for six, all of these goals have been scored for Real Madrid. Los Blancos won the Club World Cup for the second time in three years after Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Kashima Antlers in 2016 final.
Real Madrid became the first side to successfully defend their title a year later, with Ronaldo scoring the lone goal in the final against Gremio. Los Blancos now have three Club World Cup championships, one more than their arch-rivals Barcelona.
Real Madrid would accomplish a historic three-peat in 2018, becoming the competition’s most victorious side ever. Ronaldo earned his first trophy in the tournament with Manchester United exactly a decade ago.
2. Gareth Bale
Matches: 6
Goals: 6
Editions: 2014, 2017, 2018
Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale has had an injury-plagued career. However, there’s no disputing that the Welshman is one of the best in the game when he’s on the song. Bale has played in almost 250 games across all competitions since joining the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2013, scoring 105 goals. Six of these goals have come at the FIFA Club World Cup, including one against San Lorenzo in 2014 final.
Bale has four Club World Cup victories. The 32-year-old scored all three goals in Real Madrid’s 3-1 semi-final win over Kashima Antlers in his last outing in the event in 2018. Los Blancos won the competition for the fourth time in five years, defeating Al Ein 4-1 in the final.
3. Luis Suarez
Matches: 2
Goals: 5
Editions: 2015
In 2015, Luis Suarez won his only FIFA Club World Cup with Barcelona. The 35-year-old is widely considered as one of the game’s most productive active attackers, having spent six seasons with the Blaugrana.
Suarez scored approximately 200 goals for the club, including five goals in the Club World Cup. All five goals were scored in his only appearance in the competition in 2015. He scored a hat-trick in the semi-finals against Guangzhou Evergrande before netting a brace in the final against River Plate.
Suarez now has goals in all five major competitions for Barcelona, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Supercopa, and Copa del Rey finals. Suarez (28) recently became the most prolific South American scorer in FIFA World Cup qualifying while playing for Atletico Madrid.
4. Lionel Messi
Matches: 5
Goals: 5
Editions: 2009, 2011, 2015
Lionel Messi is largely considered to be one of the best players in the game’s history. The Barcelona and Argentina legend is now at PSG and has won the FIFA Club World Cup three times with the Blaugrana.
He scored in the finals on all three occasions, with his only other goal coming in the semi-finals (2009). The 34-year-old is the only player in FIFA Club World Cup history to earn two Golden Balls and two Final MVP awards. Messi, on the other hand, hasn’t competed in the competition since 2015.
5. Cesar Delgado
Matches: 6
Goals: 5
Editions: 2011, 2012, 2013
Cesar Delgado had a mediocre club football career, scoring 72 goals for five different clubs throughout his career. For Mexican club CF Monterrey, the 2007-08 Ligue 1 winner (with Olympique Lyon) scored 27 goals.
Five of these strikes occurred during the FIFA Club World Cup, in two distinct editions. Delgado did not score in his first season of participation in 2011-12. With Monterrey, the 40-year-old has won the CONCACAF Champions League twice, scoring once and assisted five times in ten games.
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