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The number of direct goal contributions a player has registered (goals + assists) is a good metric to measure his influence or impact. It mainly applies to forwards and attacking midfielders as they are the ones who shoulder the responsibility of scoring goals and creating chances.
We've seen plenty of world-class attackers in the last 10 years or so. The last decade was dominated by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. One look at the numbers they've put up during that time is enough to understand just how phenomenal they've been.
But they're not the only ones. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five players with the most goals + assists in Europe's top five leagues since the 2012-13 season.
(Note: Only goals and assists recorded in Europe's top five leagues have been considered for this list).
#5 Karim Benzema - 262 (175 Goals & 87 Assists)
Karim Benzema enjoyed one of the best campaigns of his career at an individual level this term. The Real Madrid frontman was in phenomenal form and was their standout performer as they won the La Liga and the Champions League titles.
He scored 44 goals and provided 15 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid in the 2021-22 season.
Benzema has been an ever-present in Real Madrid's lineup in the last decade. He has played a supporting role to the various superstars who've come and gone from the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Frenchman navigated the turbulent times with characteristic ease and has now truly cemented his status as one of the greats of the modern era. Since the 2012-13 season, Benzema has scored 175 goals and provided 87 assists in La Liga.
#4 Luis Suarez - 324 (233 Goals & 91 Assists)
At the peak of his powers, Luis Suarez was able to give Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi a run for their money. He shared the European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2013-14 season after scoring 31 goals in the Premier League for Liverpool.
Suarez subsequently joined Barcelona and pipped both Messi and Ronaldo to the European Golden Shoe in the 2015-16 season, scoring 40 goals in La Liga. The Uruguayan striker is one of the most technically gifted and well-rounded strikers of his generation.
He formed the lethal 'MSN' trio alongside Messi and Neymar Jr. at Barcelona and together, they were an absolute treat to watch. Suarez has scored 233 goals and provided 91 assists across the Premier League and La Liga since the 2012-13 season.
#3 Robert Lewandowski - 328 (282 Goals + 46 Assists)
Robert Lewandowski is currently the most prolific goalscorer in Europe's top five leagues. He picked up his second successive European Golden Shoe this season and has made scoring goals look like child's play in recent times.
The Bayern Munich marksman's movement and intelligence in the final third is the stuff young strikers ought to learn from. Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller's record for most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season (40), by scoring 41 in the 2020-21 campaign.
The Poland international played for Borussia Dortmund until the end of the 2013-14 season following which he secured a move to Bayern Munich. Since the 2012-13 season, he has scored 282 goals and provided 46 assists in the Bundesliga.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo - 374 (298 Goals & 76 Assists)
Cristiano Ronaldo is 37 years old but he continues to be one of the best forwards in the game. The Portuguese legend has been nothing short of a phenomenon and is one of the greatest players of all time.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was Manchester United's best player in a largely forgettable season for them. He scored 18 goals and provided three assists in the Premier League this past season. Ronaldo has played in La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League since the 2012-13 season.
In that time, he has picked up two European Golden Shoe awards as well. Ronaldo has scored 298 goals and provided 76 assists across La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League since the 2012-13 season.
#1 Lionel Messi - 446 (311 Goals + 135 Assists)
With a record seven Ballon d'Or wins in his illustrious career, Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all time. The 34-year-old is not only a prolific goalscorer but he is also an incredibly talented playmaker.
Messi had arguably his worst season ever in terms of goalscoring in the Ligue 1 this term this term. He scored just six goals in 26 Ligue 1 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain. But it's important to note that while he wasn't amongst the goals this season, he did pick up 16 assists.
Messi tops this list by quite some distance. He has scored 311 goals and provided 135 assists across La Liga and Ligue 1 since the 2012-13 season.
