Considering all of Europe’s top five leagues, Sports Mole looks at who has scored the most goals in 2024.
Goals are the global currency that unites football worldwide: everyone wants to score them, see them, and celebrate them.
For that reason, goalscorers – or strikers, poachers, hitmen, etc – are without doubt the most valued players in the beautiful game.
Since January 1, such lethal finishers have been ruthlessly firing home and tidily tapping in from close and long range, so Sports Mole now takes the time to find out just who has scored most in this calendar year.
Considering goals registered in Europe’s top five leagues – England, Italy, France, Spain and Germany – these are the men who have proved most prolific in 2024.
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Inseparable on 14 league goals this year, Manchester City star Foden and Crystal Palace‘s renaissance man Mateta are equal seventh on our list.
Foden stepped up in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne to lead the English champions’ successful title defence, frequently finding the net when it seemed Arsenal might end their dominance.
Quite suitably, the England international scored twice on the final day as City claimed a fourth straight league crown.
Much less heralded, Mateta was considered a journeyman before his breakout campaign in 2023-24.
The French striker hit top form under new Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, then went on to claim a silver medal at his home Olympics.
=5. Jonathan David (15 Ligue 1 goals), Harry Kane (15 Bundesliga goals) and Cole Palmer (15 Premier League goals)
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In addition to several goals in the Coupe de France and Europe, David has outscored Kylian Mbappe and co by slotting home 15 goals in the French top flight this year.
The 24-year-old’s current contract runs until next summer, but major clubs including Arsenal, Inter Milan and Roma have apparently been monitoring his situation.
Picking up where he left off in 2023-24, the Canada international recently scored on the first day of the new Ligue 1 season.
Before scoring in England’s Euro 2024 final defeat, Palmer racked up 14 league goals – in addition to a hatful of assists. That still was not quite enough to push his way into Gareth Southgate‘s starting XI, though.
After some reputation-enhancing cameos at the Euros, Palmer was recently back on target against Wolves to reach 15 league goals this year.
By contrast with his international teammate, perhaps for the first time, Kane’s solid-gold reputation lost a little of its shine at this summer’s European Championship.
The ex-Tottenham striker was expected to thrive at a tournament played in his new homeland, having already adapted to life in Germany with seamless ease.
That did not quite pan out, but England’s all-time top scorer has still added 15 goals to his towering league total in 2024, seeing him crowned as the Bundesliga’s most prolific forward.
2. Erling Haaland (17 Premier League goals)
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Last season, Haaland maintained his incredible strike rate, despite being slightly down on some supreme figures from 2022-23.
Crucially, a vital brace against Tottenham Hotspur all but wrapped up top spot for his club in mid-May, and a summer of rest certainly seems to have helped.
The free-scoring Norwegian has already got the new season under way with four more goals, including a hat-trick against Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town – already his seventh in the English top flight.
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Though honourable mentions must go to Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres and Luuk de Jong of PSV Eindhoven, both of whom have consistently made the net ripple in lesser-ranked leagues, it is Sorloth who has scored more than anyone else throughout Europe’s top five in 2024.
Haaland’s compatriot has registered 18 La Liga strikes so far this calendar year, with the undoubted highlight coming when he bagged all four Villarreal goals as they drew 4-4 with mighty Real Madrid.
On that rare day when almost everything went his way, the Norwegian moved ahead in the race to win last season’s Pichichi award; however, Girona’s Artem Dovbyk went on to pip him at the post.
Sorloth had a chance to snatch the prestigious prize on La Liga’s final matchday, but an early leg injury saw him substituted without scoring.
Nevertheless, the ex-Crystal Palace striker – who has also spent time at Trabzonspor, RB Leipzig and Real Sociedad during a nomadic career – confirmed his reputation as a reliable net-finder in the Spanish top flight.
In fact, his 23 goals for a mid-table team last season came from 36 shots on target – and without taking a single penalty.
Something of a late bloomer, the 27-year-old secured a big move to Atletico Madrid earlier this summer, and celebrated by scoring in the capital club’s season opener versus none other than Villarreal.
Sorloth still leads the way across Europe’s top five leagues in 2024.