Cristiano Ronaldo is 36 years old but still one of the best in the world. One of the greatest goal scorers of all time has had an eventful year. Ronaldo, as we all know, has always been a driven player. His desire to win, break records and collect trophies propelled him to the ranks of the all-time greats.
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a tumultuous year.
He has had a mixed year on those fronts. He has thrived as an individual. Ronaldo won the Serie A Golden Boot in 2020-21 after scoring 29 goals in 33 appearances for Juventus.
He then went on to win the Golden Boot at Euro 2020, despite Portugal being knocked out in the Round of 16 by Belgium.
In the summer, he returned to his former club Manchester United, where he performed several rescue acts as the Red Devils struggled to get off to a good start to the season. On the trophy front, however, Cristiano Ronaldo’s year has been far from fruitful.
Without further ado, here are five players who have had a better 2021 season than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Number 5: Jorginho
Jorginho was subjected to many slanders during his early days at Chelsea. He was singled out for allegedly being Maurizio Sarri’s favorite during the latter’s tenure as Blues manager. The Italian midfielder was quickly dismissed as incapable of coping with the rigors of the Premier League.
Jorginho, on the other hand, has been able to turn all of that around, and it’s been quite a journey from being an easy target for criticism to being a fan favorite. However, he has truly earned his stars along the way. Jorginho was Chelsea’s main midfielder as the club won the UEFA Champions League last season.
He was also Italy’s midfield lynchpin during the Azzurri’s victorious run at Euro 2020. What I like best about Jorginho is that he is equally adept at keeping the ball and distributing it as he is at dispensing his defensive duties.
Jorginho now has the most interceptions made at a European Championship tournament since Opta began collecting data, with 25. That is in addition to his exceptional work rate and all of his contributions in the attack.
Jorginho was named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and is a contender for the Ballon d’Or this year. He is the only player who can say he had a better season than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Number 4: Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland’s trophy haul, like Cristiano Ronaldo’s, isn’t particularly impressive. He did win the DFB Pokal with Borussia Dortmund last season, but the majority of major trophies have eluded him. The Norwegian striker did not compete in Euro 2020 because his country did not qualify for the continental competition.
However, it would be unfair to look at Haaland’s statistics and claim that he hasn’t had a better year than Cristiano Ronaldo. In 45 appearances for both club and country in 2021, Haaland has 43 goals and 10 assists. He is currently the most sought-after striker in the world.
Haaland is a young, athletic, technically adept, and pacy striker with amazing movement.
Number 3: Lionel Messi
There is a lot of focus these days on Lionel Messi‘s inability to break his duck in Ligue 1. In five appearances in Ligue 1, Messi has yet to score. However, in three Champions League appearances for PSG, he has scored three goals.
Messi has had a fantastic year as well. With 30 goals in 35 appearances, he won the Pichichi trophy as La Liga’s top scorer. Argentina won the Copa America 2021 this summer, and Messi won the Golden Boot and was named the tournament’s Best Player.
In seven appearances in continental competition, he scored four goals and provided five assists. Messi is the favorite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. In 52 appearances for club and country in 2021, he has 40 goals and 14 assists.
Number 2: Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo’s former strike partner, has had one of his best seasons. Benzema’s form was a bright spot for Real Madrid, despite the club going trophyless for the first time in 11 years in the 2020-21 season.
He was their leading scorer last season, with 30 goals and nine assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. That was enough to earn him a recall to the French national team after a six-year absence. Benzema’s comeback was marked by four goals in four appearances at Euro 2020.
He then went on to score crucial goals for France in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals and final, helping them to victory. Benzema has also been in superb form for Real Madrid this season. In 15 appearances across all competitions, he has 14 goals and eight assists.
In 55 appearances for club and country in 2021, Benzema has scored 42 goals and provided 13 assists.
Number 1: Robert Lewandowski
Right now, Robert Lewandowski is arguably the best striker on the planet. He is, without a doubt, the most prolific goal-scorer among the elite. Despite his age, the Polish international has been on fire in recent seasons and shows no signs of slowing down.
Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller’s record for most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season (40) in the 2020-21 season, scoring 41 goals in 29 appearances. Last season, he was Bayern Munich’s standout performer as they won the Bundesliga title.
So far this season, Lewandowski has 64 goals and 11 assists in 51 appearances for both club and country. He is also one of the favorites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.
