After a summer of lavish spending, the Saudi Pro League is in full swing and some of the high-profile arrivals are already strutting their stuff in the Middle East.
With the division now on a winter break until February, we take a look at how the division’s Golden Boot race is shaping up.
Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed an incredible start to the season with Al-Nassr, notching 20 goals in just 18 appearances. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a hat-trick against Al-Fateh in August and has also bagged a quartet of braces, failing to score in only four matches this term. Ronaldo has nine assists to his name too, the joint-highest tally in the division.
Aleksandar Mitrovic has taken no time to find his feet in Saudi Arabia. The Serbian striker joined current leaders Al-Hilal from Fulham in August and has scored 17 times in as many league appearances. He netted a memorable hat-trick against Al-Ittihad back in September to secure a priceless 4-3 win.
Former Tottenham winger Georges-Kevin N’Koudou is enjoying a stunning season with Damac and will be hoping to shine for Cameroon at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. The 28-year-old has scored 14 goals in 17 appearances and netted a hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Abha in November. N’Koudou has only failed to score in seven league matches this term and also boasts four assists to his name.
Saudi Arabia striker Firas Al-Buraikan started the season brightly with Al-Fateh, netting four times in five appearances. The 23-year-old then joined Al-Ahli in September and has continued to deliver the goods in the final third, adding seven more goals to his tally in 12 appearances. His impressive displays have even kept ex-Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino out of the Jeddah-based side’s starting XI.
Brazilian maestro Anderson Talisca missed four of Al-Nassr’s first five games of the season but has returned to full fitness with a bang. The ex-Benfica ace has scored 11 goals in 14 appearances, including a run of eight goals in six matches between September and October. Talisca boasts a superb record of 63 goals from 81 matches in all competitions since joining Al-Nassr in May 2021.