Cristiano Ronaldo may not be the top scorer in 2023 after FIFA’s controversial decision.

Cristiano Ronaldo cannot stop surprising the football world even when he leaves Europe. With a double in Al Nassr’s 5-2 victory over Al Ittihad in round 18 of the Saudi Pro League, CR7 became the top scorer in 2023 with 53 goals. The Portuguese superstar surpassed other famous names Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé – both with 52 goals this year, as well as Erling Haaland with 50 goals.

However, a surprising FIFA rule could prevent Ronaldo from winning the coveted top scorer position.

Accordingly, the 53 goals that Ronaldo scored in the calendar year 2023 are due to his participation in the Saudi Pro League, AFC Champions League, Kings Cup of Champions, Arab Club Champions Cup and a number of international matches in the national team shirt. Portuguese family. Dentistry.

However, RMC Sport reported that FIFA does not recognize UAFA’s Arab Club Champions Cup as a major tournament. Ronaldo scored 6 goals in this tournament, including a double against Al Hilal in the final to win his first silver cup with the Riyadh team. This means that FIFA will not consider those 6 goals, reducing CR7’s total number of goals to 47.

This will certainly be a big shock to the 38-year-old player and those who love him, because achieving this achievement is not simple at all.

Ronaldo still has one match left on December 30 against Al Taawoun. Meanwhile, Mbappe and Kane’s parent club will compete in January 2024. Although Haaland’s Man City will have two more matches this year, the Norwegian superstar will most likely be absent due to injury.

That means Ronaldo still has a chance to improve his scoring record, but he will need to score 5 goals to equal Mbappe and Kane’s 52 goals. Notably, this is not the first time FIFA regulations have denied the top scorer title to a player.

Abderrazak Hamdallah – Moroccan striker who played for Al Nassr and currently plays for Al Ittihad, shone brightly in 2019 when he scored 57 goals in a calendar year. Unfortunately, FIFA overlooked the player’s impressive performance as worldwide attention focused on Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who scored 54 goals.

The move certainly raises questions about whether FIFA should consider statistics from tournaments it does not recognize. Notably, many statistical reference websites such as Transfermarkt also do not take into account tournaments that are not recognized by FIFA such as the Arab Club Champions Cup. Either way, it’s a huge blow to Ronaldo’s inability to become top scorer in the 2023 season.