Messi Leads All-Time Calendar Year Goal Scorers List

Lionel Messi set the record for the most goals scored in a calendar year with 91 goals in 2012 while playing for Barcelona and Argentina. The list of the top ten footballers with the most goals in a calendar year includes notable names such as Gerd Müller, who scored 85 goals in 1972, and Pelé, who appears three times on the list.

Kylian Mbappé scored 62 goals in 2025, although there are conflicting reports about his total. Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski both scored 69 goals in 2013 and 2021, respectively.

Romário scored 72 goals in 2000 while playing for Vasco da Gama, and Zico recorded 72 goals in 1979. These performances highlight the extraordinary goal-scoring capabilities of these football legends.