The new season is under a month away, and we’re hoping that it will be an exciting one. All of the world’s best competitions are back in action, and there’s the small matter of the World Cup this winter.
We’ll all be watching to see who can get their hands on some silverware – this will be the main event. However, it’s not all about the trophies. There are plenty of individual accolades that could be reached over the next year.
Here are some goal-related records and milestones that could be hit next season.
Premier League
- Harry Kane is on the verge of becoming only the third player to hit 200 Premier League goals, after Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208). The striker needs 17 goals to hit the milestone. Since his breakthrough in 2014/15, he has averaged 22.5 goals per season.
- Tottenham Hotspur teammate Heung-min Son could also hit a major milestone. He is currently on 93 Premier League goals. With just seven more, he will become the first-ever Asian player to join the Premier League’s 100 club. Given that he won the Golden Boot last season, we fancy him to reach this with ease.
- An outside shout to also join the 100 club next year is Christian Benteke. The Belgian needs 14 Premier League goals to complete his century – a tally he has surpassed twice in his career. However, he managed just four goals last season, and it is unclear if he will be a regular starter for Crystal Palace.
Serie A
- Ciro Immobile could become the eighth player to hit 200 goals in Serie A. The Italian needs 18 – he has smashed this target six times in Serie A, and has won the Capocannoniere on four occasions.
- Paulo Dybala is almost certain to score his 100th Serie A goal next season, needing just two more. He is a free agent at the time of writing, but is likely to complete a move to Roma soon.
- Level with Dybala on 98 goals is Luis Muriel. The Colombian boasts an incredible record of 63 minutes per goal contribution in the league for Atalanta.
- Also on 98 goals is Inter Milan’s Edin Dzeko. He will undoubtedly reach 100 in the coming months, although it is unclear how much game time he will get.
- Not far behind is Atalanta forward Josip Ilicic. He needs just four more to get to the triple figure mark. While easily achievable, this isn’t a certainty – the Slovenian managed just three last term, having started just eight matches due to personal issues.
- Mattia Destro has played his entire career in Serie A, so it’s no surprise that he’s closing in on the 100-mark. The 31-year-old is ten away from reaching his century – he has hit double figures four times in his career.
Ligue 1
- Dimitri Payet‘s next league goal will be his 100th in Ligue 1. The previous 99 have come across spells at Nantes, Saint-Etienne, Lille, and two stints at Marseille.
- After eight years in Spain, Kevin Gameiro returned to his native France last summer. He is currently on 87 goals in Ligue 1.
Bundesliga
- Max Kruse will fancy himself to hit the 100-mark this season. He has scored 97 Bundesliga goals from 302 appearances.
- On 88 Bundesliga goals is Hoffenheim forward Andrej Kramaric. He suffered his worst goalscoring campaign in Germany last year, hitting just six, but scored at least 12 in each of the five preceding seasons.
- Former Bayern Munich forward Nils Petersen is also on 88 goals. It’s a big ask for the 33-year-old, but he has managed double figures five times in the German top-flight.
- Anthony Modeste is currently sat on 83 Bundesliga goals. Last season, he was the league’s fourth-top scorer with 20, finishing behind only Robert Lewandowski, Patrik Schick, and Erling Braut Haaland.
Champions League
- Karim Benzema could become the third player to reach 100 Champions League goals, after Cristiano Ronaldo (140) and Lionel Messi (125). He needs 14 – a huge task, but one that he managed last season.
- Robert Lewandowski also needs 14 Champions League goals to hit the 100-mark. He managed 13 last year, and 15 a couple of seasons before that. Although, it could all depend on how quickly he settles in at Barcelona.
Europa League
- Edin Dzeko is six goals off equalling the Europa League’s all-time goal record, currently held by Henrik Larsson. He is set to play in the Champions League this season with Inter Milan, but could have a shot at the record should they finish in third place in their group.
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is in a similar position. He is seven goals off Larsson’s record, but will also be playing in the Champions League. Additionally, it is unclear how much game time he will get, following Lewandowski’s arrival at Barcelona.
Club Records
- Harry Kane is expected to become Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time top goalscorer next year. He needs 19 more in all competitions to break the record, currently held by Jimmy Greaves.
- At just 23 years of age, Kylian Mbappe is close to becoming Paris Saint-Germain’s record goalscorer. 30 goals will see him overtake former teammate Edinson Cavani; the Frenchman has hit at least 30 in each of the last four campaigns.
- If he bags 22 goals next season, Marco Reus will leapfrog Alfred Preissler as Borussia Dortmund’s record marksman. He has hit this tally twice in his career, but the most recent of these was in 2015/16.
- Yussuf Poulsen is closing in on RB Leipzig’s goal record, held by Timo Werner. The Dane needs 13 in all competitions to hold the crown.
International
- Should he notch just once this winter, Cristiano Ronaldo will become the first player to score at five different World Cups. He has struck at every tournament since 2006, totalling seven goals.
- It could be a huge year for Harry Kane, as he also has the opportunity to break England’s goal record. He is just three behind current holder Wayne Rooney. At the last World Cup, he won the Golden Boot with six goals.
- Thierry Henry’s record with France could also be taken this year. Olivier Giroud is three off him, while Antoine Griezmann is nine behind. The latter hit nine for Les Bleus in 2021, but the former is unlikely to play often.
- In what is likely to be his last World Cup, Neymar has the chance to become Brazil’s leading goalscorer. The world’s most expensive footballer is on 74, three behind the great Pele.
- With eight goals, Memphis Depay will draw level with Robin van Persie as the Netherlands’ all time top scorer. The 28-year-old has scored 23 goals in his last 23 international appearances.
- Qatari forward Almoez Ali has the chance to break his country’s record on home soil. He is third in Qatar’s all time charts, five behind leader Mansour Muftah.
- Jonathan David is three goals off becoming Canada’s record goalscorer. However, the honour is held by current teammate Cyle Larin, so he may need more.
