5 Ligue 1 players who have surprisingly scored more goals than Lionel Messi

#3 Mohamed Bayo - 9

Mohamed Bayo has been impressive for Clermont this season.

Mohamed Bayo is another player who has scored more Ligue 1 goals than Lionel Messi this season. The Clermont youth academy graduate has been an excellent goalscorer for the newly-promoted side. He has scored nine goals in the French top flight so far.

The 23-year-old is of Guinean descent, and is currently representing Guinea in the Africa Cup of Nations. He is the highest-scoring African goalscorer in Ligue 1 this term. In Ligue 2, Bayo scored 22 goals in 38 appearances last campaign to earn promotion for his side.

The Clermont centre-forward started the season exceedingly well. He scored three goals in two games, which propelled Clermont to the top of the points table. Thanks to their talismanic striker, the reigning Ligue 2 champions are not in the relegation zone.

---

#2 Martin Terrier - 10

Martin Terrier has been the best winger in the French league this season.

Martin Terrier is a prominent player in the French football scene. The left winger has scored ten league goals this season. Needless to say, he is having a far better season than his fellow winger Lionel Messi.

Terrier has already trumped his previous personal record of nine goals in Ligue 1. He has formed a formidable partnership with Gaetan Laborde. They have scored more goals together than the trio of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi.

The Rennes forward scored a brilliant hat-trick against St Etienne in December. His pace, coupled with precise finishing, has helped him score a goal in six victories for his club. Bruno Genesio will hope his 24-year-old winger can keep up the same form for the rest of the Ligue 1 season.

---

#1 Ludovic Ajorque - 10

Ludovic Ajorque has scored more penalties than Messi's Messi'sgoal tally.

Ludovic Ajorque is by far the most prolific name on this list. He has been a consistent goalscorer for RC Strasbourg since his move to the club in 2018. The tall striker has scored ten goals in Ligue 1 this season, comfortably outscoring Lionel Messi by nine.

In fact, Ajorque has scored more penalties than the total league goals scored by Messi. While the two players' careers are not even comparable, the Strasbourg striker has been much better than Messi recently. Overall, he has scored 43 times in 106 Ligue 1 outings.

Strasbourg are in the top four, courtesy of their lethal attack. Ajorque has helped earn them 23 points out of a total of 35. Apart from scoring ten goals, the former Clermont forward has also registered four assists.