Cristiano Ronaldo continues to break records as his scored his 50th goal of 2023 to help his Al Nassr side to beat Al Shabab 5-2 to reach the semi-finals of the Saudi King Cup.
That goal count further enhanced the Portuguese legend's footballing legacy, as his glittering career continues both domestically and with his international side.
So far this season for his Saudi Arabian side, the 38-year-old has struck 26 goals across all competitions – 16 of which have come in just 15 Saudi Pro League games. Amazingly, it's the eighth time that Ronaldo has scored 50 or more goals in a calendar year, just one shy of the record that rival Lionel Messi has set, with nine years.
Next up, Ronaldo will continue his quest to add more trophies to his collection in a glittering career than has seen him play in 1201 professional matches. But where does his tally of 50 goals this year rank in comparison to his strongest ever tallies across a calendar year?
The Sporting News is on hand to take you through the data.
What is Cristiano Ronaldo's best year of goalscoring?
After Al Nassr's victory in cup action, Ronaldo said on Instagram; "Great victory and I’m thrilled to announce my 50th goal in 2023, all thanks to the unwavering support of my teammates, fans, and my family! There’s still room for a few more this year."
But what about his achievements in previous years? Let's take a look.
2013 - 69 goals in 59 appearances for club and country
As one of the most gifted footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo has put together a stunning career, winning hundreds of trophies and personal accolades along the way.
But it was in 2013 when the Portuguese legend was at the height of his powers in terms of goalscoring.
During that calendar year, the then-Real Madrid star scored a scarcely believable 59 goals in 50 club appearances for the side from the Spanish capital across all competitions.
That return not only helped his Madrid team to glory on the field, but it also saw Ronaldo rewarded with his second of five total Ballon d'Or victories – and his first since his days at Manchester United. In the voting process, he took 27.99% of the total votes to narrowly beat his great rival Lionel Messi to the famous individual title.
Cristiano Ronaldo year-by-year goalscoring record
As this table shows, since his rise to prominence in the mid-noughties, Ronaldo has been unrelenting in his goalscoring for both club and country:
| Year | Club Apps/Goals | International Apps\Goals |
| 2002 | 16 / 5 | 0 / 0 |
| 2003 | 34 / 1 | 2 / 0 |
| 2004 | 44 / 6 | 16 / 7 |
| 2005 | 53 / 13 | 11 / 2 |
| 2006 | 46 / 19 | 14 / 6 |
| 2007 | 50 / 29 | 10 / 5 |
| 2008 | 50 / 34 | 8 / 1 |
| 2009 | 42 / 29 | 7 / 1 |
| 2010 | 48 / 45 | 11 / 3 |
| 2011 | 52 / 53 | 8 / 7 |
| 2012 | 58 / 58 | 13 / 5 |
| 2013 | 50 / 59 | 9 / 10 |
| 2014 | 51 / 56 | 9 / 5 |
| 2015 | 52 / 54 | 5 / 3 |
| 2016 | 44 / 42 | 13 / 13 |
| 2017 | 49 / 42 | 11 / 11 |
| 2018 | 46 / 43 | 7 / 6 |
| 2019 | 40 / 25 | 10 / 14 |
| 2020 | 39 / 41 | 6 / 3 |
| 2021 | 51 / 34 | 14 / 13 |
| 2022 | 34 / 13 | 12 / 3 |
| 2023 | 47 / 40 | 9 / 10 |
