Ronaldo, Benzema, Mitrovic, Aubameyang, N'Koudou: Who will clinch the golden boot? | OneFootball

With the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League 17 matchweeks in and therefore officially halfway through the season, we look at the ever-more-gripping race to finish as the campaign’s top scorer.

Cristiano Ronaldo, of course, clinched last season’s golden boot in record-breaking fashion and, showing no sign of slowing down, the Al Nassr captain currently sits in pole position to hold onto the crown.

But he has a chasing pack of mighty marksmen. Some are league new boys, while an RSL all-timer is not far off the mark either. Check out the state of play in the brilliant battle to reign supreme as the 2024-25 RSL’s lead striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo – 14

Last season’s history-maker is this term’s frontrunner, with Al Nassr captain Ronaldo leading the way since his double against Al Khaleej in Matchweek 16.

The Portuguese superstar has scored seven in his past seven RSL appearances, while in 2023-24 he found the net 19 times in the back half of the campaign to break the league record for goals in a single season.

This time around, Ronaldo has a converted a league-high six penalties, double that of the next on that particular list: Georges-Kevin N’Koudou and Abderrazak Hamdallah, both with three. With Ronaldo stating publicly earlier this month that he "wants more" from his time at Al Nassr, rest assured he won't relinquish his golden boot without a fight.

Karim Benzema – 13

For sure, Ronaldo will be wary that his former Real Madrid teammate – the pair sit at No.1 and No.2 in the Spanish giants’ all-time goal charts – is hot on his heels.

After a frustrating debut season in the RSL, the Al Ittihad captain has responded superbly - like he declared he would pre-season. Benzema has scored in all but three of his 14 league appearances this term and notched a first hat-trick in the Kingdom back in September, in the 7-1 win in the Old Derby against Al Wehda.

Remarkably, none of the Frenchman's 13 goals have come via the penalty spot, with Benzema failing to convert when presented the opportunity.

Aleksandar Mitrovic – 12

The Al Hilal hitman was in fine fettle through the first 13 matchweeks of the season, scoring doubles in the opening two rounds to move out in front early on in the race for the golden boot. By Matchweek 6, he had another two braces, including in the 2024-25 campaign’s first Saudi Clasico, when he helped inflict Al Ittihad’s first defeat this term.

Mitrovic then added five more goals to enjoy a healthy advantage at the top of the scoring charts through 13 rounds, but injury sustained in the King’s Cup defeat to Al Ittihad earlier this month means he has yet to make a league appearance this year.

The Serbian's overall RSL record remains stellar, though: since joining Al Hilal in the summer of 2023, Mitrovic has a whopping 40 goals in 41 games.

Georges-Kevin N’Koudou – 10

The only striker in this top 10 whose team are currently in the bottom half, the Damac winger-cum-forward continues to be a revelation in the RSL.

N’Koudou registered 15 goals from 31 matches in his debut season in the Kingdom and has picked up where he left off to reach double digits once more. Some of the highlights include the winner in Matchweek 6 that halted Al Shabab’s four-game win streak, the injury-time penalty to salvage a draw with Al Riyadh, and the winner in the following round at Al Wehda.

However, the best of the bunch came only this past Monday, when N’Koudou netted both goals in the upset win a home to title-chasing Al Ittihad. In particular, the first was a stunner from range.

Marcos Leonardo – 10

What a first season in the RSL the young Brazilian is having. Joining Al Hilal in September from Portugal’s Benfica, the 21-year-old was initially deployed on the wing as Mitrovic led the champions’ line in typically expert fashion.

In the Serbia international's absence, though, Leonardo has moved to the tip of the team’s attack – and filled in spectacularly. He struck a double at Al Okhdood upon the league's restart earlier this month, then followed up with a hat-trick in the 9-0 win against Al Fateh.

Leonardo has netted in both RSL matches since, extending his impressive scoring streak to five successive league games in all – with eight goals across that truly sparkling spell.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 9

Another recruit in the summer transfer window, but someone at the other end of the experience scale, the Al Qadsiah frontman has proved a similarly astute signing.

Aubameyang, 35, took a while to get going, failing to find the net in the opening three rounds, but since his winner against Al Ahli in Matchweek 4 he hasn’t looked back. In fact, all nine goals have come in his past 13 appearances.

Standout moments include the decisive blow in the 2-1 triumph at Al Nassr in Matchweek 11 – the Riyadh club’s first league defeat this term – and undoubtedly Monday’s double to see off league leaders Al Hilal, when his sublime winner came in injury-time to fire third-placed Al Qadsiah right into the title race.

Musa Barrow – 9

Perhaps similar to N’Koudou, the Al Taawoun forward is mixing it with the big boys of the league while his team aren’t exactly emulating that: at the midway point, the Buraidah club lie ninth.

After a modest six goals in 21 appearances in his debut season in the RSL, Barrow has already outstripped that mark through 17 matches. And, how he has done it. His formidable drive from range at Al Ittihad in Matchweek 2 was rightfully voted Goal of the Week, as was his equally excellent effort against Al Ahli in the final round before the winter break.

However, the goals have dried up for the Gambian somewhat since: following the brace against Al Qadsiah upon the league’s restart, Barrow has gone three games without adding to his tally.

Julian Quinones – 9

If Aubameyang is enjoying a stunning first campaign in the RSL, then ditto his strike partner at Al Qadsiah. The Mexico international, arriving in the summer from Club America in his homeland, announced himself to the competition with two goals on debut in the opening round against Al Fateh.

From then, Quinones rebounded from a red card at Al Okhdood and a subsequent four-match goal drought by notching seven times in eight league outings. Just as his lofty Gabon teammate did, he struck in the win against Al Nassr in late November, before scoring twice in the victory at Al Kholood and two more away to Al Orobah in Matchweek 16.

As it stands, Quinones has a strike rate of nine goals in 14 RSL appearances.

Abdullah Al Salem – 8

The only Saudi Arabian in the top-scorers top 10 at present, the Al Khaleej striker is flying the flag for his countrymen in this star-studded RSL.

Not to be deterred by the high-profile internationals that have arrived, Al Salem is proving that local talent is more than capable too, with his eight goals thus far representing the best output of his career.

It makes it all the more impressive when considering Al Salem failed to find the net in his opening five league matches of the season before finally notching the winner at home to Al Kholood in early October.

Then he really hit his straps: Al Salem scored three successive doubles from Matchweek 8, including a brace against Al Hilal to snap the champions’ RSL record 46-match unbeaten streak. With Al Salem their spearhead, Al Khaleej sit seventh and could challenge for the top four.

Houssem Aouar – 8

While Benzema has, understandably, been attracting most of the headlines this season for Al Ittihad, his Algerian teammate has settled brilliantly into life in the RSL.

Principally a midfielder, Aouar has been something of a revelation since his summer transfer from AS Roma, becoming an instant fan favourite by notching back-to-back, injury-time winners in the opening two rounds.

The former Olympique Lyon playmaker then scored in the Old Derby rout to extend his streak to three successive games and has been a steady contributor for the most part since – there was the late winner at Al Okhdood in Matchweek 6 – as Al Ittihad maintain their title tilt.

Abderrazak Hamdallah – 8

Last, but certainly not least given his status as a genuine RSL legend, the Al Shabab captain has found his feet after a niggling injury limited his impact for the club he joined in the summer from Al Ittihad.

As said, Hamdallah is a league all-timer: he is the second-highest scorer in competition history, a three-time winner of the golden boot, and the man who held the single-season record before Ronaldo usurped the mark by a single goal last term.

Debuting for Al Shabab in Matchweek 3, Hamdallah got off the mark in his very next league outing, netting the winner against Al Taawoun. He now has seven goals in his past eight RSL appearances, including the brace at Al Kholood, the 97th-minute winner in the derby with Al Riyadh, and both goals in Monday’s 2-1 home victory against Fayha. This time, the decisive strike came in the sixth minute of stoppage time.