• n22rwrdr@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      The craziest thing is that he has around 16 goals in his first 50 games and has been averaging around one goal per game since 2016 now.

    • GibbyGoldfisch@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      You laugh, but if he maintains his current trajectory, he will be number one in about five years’ time.

      Man’s got a goals per game ratio that Ali Daei himself would be proud of.

        • GibbyGoldfisch@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          I mean, he’s just turned 30, and he needs 46 more goals to overtake him. Ronaldo probably can’t keep going past the next euros you would have thought, so maybe the target will end up around 50.

          Lukaku’s averaging about 8 goals per year, and it’s not like there are any red hot young Belgian strikers in place to surpass him. So if he keeps going past the next world cup, then there is a small chance; weirder things have happened.

            • Wastyvez@alien.topB
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              1 year ago

              He’s been playing for the Belgian NT since he was 17 and moved from Anderlecht to Chelsea when he was only 18. He was only 16 when he played with Anderlecht in the Europa League. He had his breakthrough seasons at West Brom and Everton when he was only 19 and 20 and was only 23 when he broke Everton’s topscorer record and finished second behind Kane in the seasonal topscorer list (who by the way is the same age). He was also the first non-English player ever to reach 50 PL goals before 23.

              Lukaku seems like he’s been around for ages because he has been around for ages. Lukaku is that rare type of player that was already elite at an age where most players are still looking for their breakthrough.

          • deepit6431@alien.topB
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            1 year ago

            Lukaku has been playing regularly since he was 17 or something, he doesn’t have that much time ahead of him. Don’t see him being able to score 50 more international goals in his life.

          • DrunkBelgian@alien.topB
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            1 year ago

            and it’s not like there are any red hot young Belgian strikers

            Well, there is Openda who is very much on an upwards trajectory. I could see him take Lukaku’s starting spot when Lukaku gets a bit older and Openda gets even better. But even in that scenario, Lukaku will definitely still be in the squad and get playing time.

    • Strananach@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Scoring in Europe is much easier than SA due to numerous bad countries, and most of the all time great forwards came from SA (Messi, Pele, R9, Rivaldo, Maradona, Ronaldinho, Suarez, Milito, Forlan) so yeah.

      • WasAnHonestMann@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        Idk why you’re getting downvoted, you’re right. If the likes of Messi and Neymar regularly played against the likes of Andorra and Malta, they’d have significantly more goals than they do now.

        • Trashcan4aheart@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          Neymar is the most ridiculous one on this list. He isnt even a striker and has an insane goal per game ratio

    • blussy1996@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      People here don’t like to hear it, but it’s simply so much easier to get goals now than 20-40 years ago.

    • helloimmrburns@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      No harm but look at some of the teams he gets to play against in qualifying games. With Hazard and KDB and others of that quality around you it isn’t too surprising. Also helps that he’s a top class striker

    • pepecachetes@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Without trying to offend anyone but, EU qualifiers have a ton of really low level punching bags (we just seen France beat someone 14-0) and that is just not possible in other confederations

      • mg10pp@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        It’s very possible also in Asia and North America, it’s just South America which is unlucky (and partly also Africa, but they have Djbouti and Seychelles)