Robert Lewandowski outshines Mbappe, Salah by reaching goalscoring milestone earlier in 2024-25 season
As the 2024-25 season nears its end, with some titles already decided and others still in play, one thing is certain: Robert Lewandowski remains one of the most reliable strikers in world football. At the age of 36, the FC Barcelona forward has reached a remarkable goalscoring milestone earlier than both Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah.
Lewandowski has demonstrated his goalscoring prowess throughout his career at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, and after moving to Barcelona, he continues to prove his worth. Under coach Hansi Flick, he has found top form once again, consistently delivering goals.
With his brace against Girona on Sunday, Lewandowski became the first player from the top five European leagues to reach 40 goals in all competitions this season, for both club and country. The Polish striker outpaced both Mbappe (35 goals) and Salah (32 goals) in this achievement.
This season with Barcelona, Lewandowski has netted 38 goals and provided 3 assists in 42 appearances, excelling in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. His other two goals came while representing Poland in the UEFA Nations League and UEFA Qualifiers. After the Girona match, Lewandowski reflected on his impressive form, downplaying concerns about his age.
“Many people mention my age, but I feel fantastic physically,” Lewandowski said in a post-match interview with DAZN. “If I look at the data, there’s no difference between now and a few years ago. I know I’m working as hard as always, and I want to keep playing at the highest level for a few more years,” he added, before addressing the importance of collective success over individual accolades.
How is the Golden Boot race shaping up?
Lewandowski is currently the most prolific striker in Europe’s top five leagues, but there’s still work to be done to claim the Golden Boot. He is currently trailing Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Salah leads the standings with 27 goals (54 points), while Lewandowski sits second with 25 goals (50 points). In third place is Viktor Gyokeres with 30 goals (45 points) from the Portuguese league, while a three-way tie for fourth features Mateo Retegui, Mbappe, and Harry Kane, each with 22 goals (44 points).
Salah has held the lead for the Golden Boot since the system only considers goals scored in league matches, excluding goals from national cups or UEFA competitions. With several games still remaining, Lewandowski will look to close the gap and aim for his third Golden Boot, which would see him join Lionel Messi (6) and Cristiano Ronaldo (4) as the most decorated players in the award’s history.