Ousmane Dembele equals Cristiano Ronaldo's feat and closes in on Lionel Messi’s record after scoring for PSG in 3-2 win over Lyon

Ousmane Dembele has inscribed his name alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi following his exploits over the weekend. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured a 3-2 win over Lyon in Ligue 1 on Sunday (February 23) at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Achraf Hakimi scored a brace while Dembele also found the back of the net to secure three points for Luis Enrique's side. In the process, the French forward equaled Ronaldo's feat.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 16 goals in the first two months of 2013, during his time with Real Madrid. In the process, the Portuguese registered the second-most goals in the first two months of a calendar year for a club in the top five leagues in Europe.

The record, of course, belongs to Lionel Messi, who found the back of the net 17 times in the first two months of 2016 as a Barcelona player. Dembele has now joined the podium, with his goal against Lyon his 16th of this year.

The 27-year-old has scored 24 goals and set up six more from 31 games across competitions this season. Dembele could have the chance to break or equal La Pulga's record on Wednesday, February 26, when the Parisians take on Stade Briochin in the French Cup quarterfinal.

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Has Lionel Messi scored more goals in a calendar year than Cristiano Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi holds the record for the most goals scored in a calendar year, while Cristiano Ronaldo is not among the top three in the list. The Argentine legend achieved the feat in 2012 when he scored 91 goals for club and country.

In the process, he broke the record previously set by Germany legend Gerd Muller, who scored 85 times for Die Mannschaft and Bayern Munich in 1972. La Pulga scored 79 times for Barcelona that year, which is also the record for the most goals for the club in a calendar year.

Lionel Messi also won the Ballon d'Or in 2012, signifying his dominance in world football. Meanwhile, Pele scored 75 goals for club and country in 1965, while Zico (72) and Romario (72) are also among the top 10 goalscorers in the calendar year.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski are on the list too. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored 69 times for Portugal and Real Madrid in 2013. Meanwhile, Lewandowski also registered 69 goals in 2021 for Bayern Munich and Poland. For context, Viktor Gyokeres was the top goalscorer in 2024, scoring 54 goals for Sporting and Sweden.