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Scoring goals is arguably the toughest task in football. Yet, some extraordinary players make it seem like a walk in the park on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Creating goals is another rather difficult trait to master, but there are some exceptional players who do it effortlessly, without breaking a sweat.
Today’s list is about a handful of outstanding footballers, who have somehow mastered both tasks. Not only can they score goals for fun, but they also happen to be exceptional creators, giving their peers plenty to be jealous about.
Here are the top five footballers with the highest number of goal involvements since 2020:
Stats via: Transfermarkt
#5 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund): 111 goal contributions
Erling Haaland joined Borussia Dortmund from RB Salzburg in the winter transfer window of the 2019-20 season. Haaland, who will ply his trade at Manchester City next season, has featured in 89 games for the Bundesliga giants, recording a whopping 111 goal contributions.
Haaland is one of the very few players who has come close to being a perfect, old-school centre-forward. He is freakishly quick, rarely comes out second best in individual battles, is great in the air, and his shots are almost impossible to stop. His off-the-ball movement is also impressive and he rarely seems to run out of steam.
Backed by Manchester City’s endless creativity, Haaland could take his game to the next level in the 2022-23 season. He could very well be the catalyst that helps City attain the unattainable, win the Champions League.
#4 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): 114 goal contributions
Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has come to life since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Juventus in 2018. The Frenchman has become Los Blancos’ key man, popping up with important goals and assists more often than not.
Benzema has taken part in 117 games for Madrid since 2020, registering 114 goal involvements.
While playing alongside Ronaldo, Benzema primarily served as a creator by scoring goals and creating space as well. With the Portuguese gone, Benzema has managed to strike the perfect balance between creativity and ruthless finishing.
The France international’s qualities reached their apex in the 2021-22 season, with him bagging 44 goals and 15 assists in 46 appearances. The former Lyon star’s brilliance helped Madrid bag the Champions League and La Liga at the end of the season.
Overall, the 34-year-old has won four La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues with Los Merengues, amongst other honors.
#3 Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain): 116 goal contributions
Lionel Messi may very well be on the wrong side of 30, but biology is failing to stop him from stamping his authority in Europe. The Paris Saint-Germain man has been directly involved in 116 goals since 2020, requiring only 107 games to get to the ludicrous number.
Messi, who spent 17 seasons at Barcelona, left the Camp Nou for the Parc des Princes in the summer of 2021. In the Catalonian capital, he won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, and seven Copas del Rey amongst other honors.
He scored 670 goals and provided 302 assists in 776 appearances for the club, going down as their leading scorer.
His debut season at PSG was not straightforward, but his quality was there to be seen, with him bagging 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 appearances across competitions.
Messi is the only player in history to win as many as seven Ballons d’Or. As long as he’s playing, one can never rule him out of the running for the prestigious accolade.
#2 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain): 146 goal contributions
Kylian Mbappe is arguably the most sought-after player in the world right now.
With 146 goal involvements in 111 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain since 2020, he has also emerged as one of the most potent players in front of goal.
The Frenchman was already a sensation at AS Monaco. But the move to PSG has made him what he is today, an undisputed superstar. He can leave defenders in the dust with his pace, can score outrageous goals and has the maturity to square off when a teammate finds himself in a better position.
Mbappe’s ingenuity in front of goal has helped the Parisians to four French Ligue 1 titles in the last five years. Mbappe finished the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season as the division’s leading scorer (27) as well as assist provider (17).
No player had achieved the prestigious double before him in Ligue 1 in the 21st century.
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 153 goal contributions
Bayern Munich ace Robert Lewandowski sits at the top of the pile, having registered a whopping 153 goal contributions in only 108 games across competitions since 2020.
The Poland international joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014 as a free agent from arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. Over the last eight years, he has established himself as arguably the best forward in the 21st century.
Scoring for fun from all conceivable angles, the two-time European Golden Shoe winner has helped Bayern to eight consecutive Bundesliga titles and a Champions League, amongst other honors.
For his exploits, he has won the FIFA The Best Men’s Player Award a couple of times and is one of the contenders for the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
Also Read: Top 5 most valuable centre-backs in the world right now (June 2022)
