5 forwards with the best goal-per-game ratio in Europe in 2021 

#3 Lionel Messi - 0.86

Lionel Messi is yet to score his first goal in Ligue 1

It's ridiculous that Lionel Messi features on this list given his delayed start to the campaign with Paris Saint-Germain. But then again, who are we kidding, it's Messi we are talking about and everyone knows he's always scoring.

The former Barcelona star has a goal-per-game ratio of 0.86 in 2021 courtesy of the 31 goals he has scored for club and country. He is one of the favorites to win what would be his seventh Ballon d'Or, but we might have a surprise waiting for us. The Argentine maestro finally fulfilled his dream of winning the Copa America earlier this summer by beating Brazil in the final.

He was deemed the player of the tournament for scoring four goals and providing five assists. Messi opened his account for PSG in a Champions League game against Manchester City. He has three goals in the Champions League this season.

Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time to play the game, Messi registered an unwanted stat in Ligue 1 this season. This is the first time since the 2005-06 season that the star forward has gone four first games into the top-flight without scoring a single league goal. That wasn't enough to keep him off the list though.

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#2 Erling Haaland - 1.00

Haaland scored on his Champions League, Bundesliga and Dfb Pokal debuts

Who would have thought a 20-year-old kid would come to the German Bundesliga for a decent €20 million and with just one season raise his market value to €150m. But the world could be forgiven because no one was ready for Erling Haaland. The striker joined Dortmund last year and has established himself as the hottest prospect in Europe.

Since his arrival, Haaland has been breaking records as if he's peeling bananas, one after another as many as he likes, whenever it suits him. When scoring goals comes easy to you, why wait for longer periods to score them? Haaland has a scary strike rate for such a young man in the game.

He is the fastest player to reach 20 goals in the Champions League, a feat he has achieved in just 14 appearances. Since the start of this year, Haaland has scored 37 goals and astonishingly he's scoring at the rate of a goal per game with club and country combined.

The Norwegian is currently out injured and is expected to miss approximately two weeks of action due to a hip injury. Dortmund sit second in the Bundesliga thanks to Haaland's nine goals and three assists in just six games. The striker's release clause of €75 million will kick in from next season. It will be interesting to see which side lures him away.

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#1 Robert Lewandowski - 1.26

Robert Lewandowski is a top contentdor to win Ballon d' Or 2021

What Haaland has done in one season, Robert Lewandowski has been doing season after season in the Bundesliga for nearly a decade now. Many around the world are rooting for the Polish striker to win the Ballon d'Or. Should he win, it's safe to assume there would be little backlash against the decision given his golden standards.

Lewandowski has been untouchable in terms of goalscoring since the start of 2021 and has the best goal-per-game ratio in Europe. His 48 goals scored are the most by any player and that is far ahead of the second best, which provides him with a strike rate of 1.26 goals per game.

The Pole has already collected six Golden Boot awards in the Bundesliga, and last season was his fourth consecutive with Bayern Munich. He has started the 2021-22 season just as prolifically as as ever scoring 17 goals in all competitions in 14 games.

Lewandowski broke Gerd Mueller's record of 40 Bundesliga goals in a single season, by scoring 41 in 29 appearances last season. Give him the Ballon d'Or already please?