5 footballers who have scored more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in 2021

#3 Kylian Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain v Manchester City: Group A - UEFA Champions League

If there is one footballer in modern times that has been touted to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it is Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman first burst onto the scene with Monaco winning the Ligue 1 title with them in the 2016-17 season. He then joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 and has achieved much since then for club and country. The 2018 World Cup winner has been linked with Real Madrid recently, but his performances have not taken a hit.

Mbappe may have missed out on winning the Champions League, but he is at his usual high standards. In 2021, Kylian Mbappe scored more goals than both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

However, his 42 goals in 51 matches were insufficient as PSG fell short in their Ligue 1 and Champions League pursuits. Mbappe also became the third-ever player for PSG to go past 100 goals in Ligue 1.

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#2 Erling Haaland

Borussia Dortmund v SpVgg Greuther Fürth - Bundesliga

A major part of Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo's duel has been their consistent rivalry. If anyone has appeared as a competitor of Kylian Mbappe, it has to be Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland.

Since his antics with Red Bull Salzburg (29 goals in 27 matches), the Norwegian has become a renowned star. He was linked with many clubs but ultimately settled at Dortmund in 2019.

Haaland is well known for his ability on the ball and his ability to know where the goal is. He is a physical specimen and uses the power of his torso to beat the opponents. He has shown finesse with both feet and head and has scored an incredible 43 goals in 42 games in 2021.

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#1 Robert Lewandowski

FC Bayern München v VfL Wolfsburg - Bundesliga

The Polish striker has had a year that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would have loved to have for themselves. He has been in scintillating form for Bayern Munich, where he has grown over the years to become a world-class player. If any player has the biggest fan craze after Ronaldo and Messi, it will be Lewandowski in recent times.

Many fans even believe it should have been the Bayern Munich footballer who should have been awarded the 2021 Ballon d'Or. The claims have substance based on the kind of performances made by Lewandowski in 2021.

He made 55 appearances and has scored 69 goals to cap off a memorable year. Along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it's quite certain that Lewandowski will go down as one of the best players of this generation.