Robert Lewandowski joins Messi and Ronaldo in elite goalscoring club after Barcelona strike
Robert Lewandowski has become a cornerstone for FC Barcelona since arriving in 2022, and even at 37 years old, he continues to perform at the highest level. With his latest goal for the Blaugrana, Lewandowski has entered an elite goalscoring club, joining legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Last Saturday, Barcelona secured a crucial 3-0 win over RCD Mallorca to extend their lead at the top of La Liga, now sitting on 58 points through 23 matches. The victory was sparked by Lewandowski, who capitalized on a rebound in the 29th minute and calmly finished from close range with both his marker and the goalkeeper on the ground, reinforcing his status as one of the defining strikers of the modern era.
That goal against Mallorca made Lewandowski just the third player in the history of Europe’s top five leagues to score at least 10 league goals in 15 consecutive seasons. After appearing in 18 La Liga matches during the 2025–26 campaign, the Polish striker reached double digits once again, a milestone previously achieved only by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Messi and Ronaldo began their streaks in the 2006–07 season, with Ronaldo scoring 17 goals in 34 Premier League matches for Manchester United and Messi netting 14 goals in 26 La Liga appearances for Barcelona. While Messi’s run ended in the 2020–21 season, Ronaldo extended his streak to 16 seasons after returning to Manchester United in 2021–22, a record that remains unmatched.
Lewandowski’s run began in the 2011–12 season, when he scored 22 Bundesliga goals in 34 matches for Borussia Dortmund. He maintained that consistency throughout his years at Bayern Munich and has continued it during his three-and-a-half seasons at Barcelona, reaching 15 consecutive campaigns across two leagues.
At 37, questions remain about Lewandowski’s future at Barcelona, where he is currently in the final year of his contract and renewal talks have yet to advance. However, if he can sustain this level for even two more seasons, he would surpass both Messi and Ronaldo in this category, strengthening his case as one of the greatest strikers of the century.
Who had the best goalscoring record across those 15 seasons?
One of the key differences among the three players lies in the leagues where their streaks were achieved. Messi completed his entirely in La Liga with Barcelona, Lewandowski did so across the Bundesliga and La Liga with three clubs, and Ronaldo spread his run across three leagues: the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A.
According to data collected from Transfermarkt, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 458 goals in 492 league matches from the 2006–07 to the 2020–21 seasons, averaging 0.93 goals per game. Including his 2021–22 campaign, his totals rise to 476 goals in 522 matches, with a slight dip in efficiency.
Lionel Messi, during his streak from 2006–07 to 2020–21, recorded 467 goals in 496 La Liga appearances, averaging 0.94 goals per game. Unlike the others, Messi achieved the entire run within a single league.
Lewandowski’s streak, which remains active, began in 2011–12 and now spans through the 2025–26 season. Following his goal against Mallorca, he has totaled 383 goals in 439 league matches across the Bundesliga and La Liga, averaging 0.87 goals per game. With 15 league matches still remaining this season, the Polish striker has room to further extend his tally.