Where Cristiano Ronaldo ranks in 2023/24 Golden Boot chase

An unprecedented summer spending spree ensured the Saudi Pro League has catapulted up the relevancy charts as the most eagerly anticipated football season ever in the Middle East gets underway.

A whole host of former Premier League stars will be strutting their stuff out in the Middle East in 2023/24 and potentially beyond, with Brazilian megastar Neymar soon to join the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as one of the division’s poster boys.

Here are the early leading goalscorers in the division.

Games played: 2
Goals scored: 2

Damac aren’t expected to be players at the top of the table, but they did snatch their first point of the season in dramatic fashion on Matchday 2.

Trailing 2-0 to Al Riyadh at half-time, Al Ammar inspired a second-half turnaround. He halved the deficit eight minutes into the second period before scoring the equaliser in the tenth minute of stoppage time.

Games played: 2
Goals scored: 2

Swedish striker Robin Quaison was hardly prolific during his time in Europe, although he did become Mainz’s all-time leading Bundesliga scorer before he left for Al Ettifaq in 2021.

Now led by Steven Gerrard and teammates with Jordan Henderson, Quaison has started the 2023/24 season by opening the scoring in both of Al Ettifaq’s wins.

Games played: 2
Goals scored: 2

It’s been a brilliant start to their title defence for champions Al Ittihad, who have won their first two games of the season comfortably. However, it hasn’t been their shiny new stars doing the damage.

Morocco international Abderrazak Hamdallah is one of two Al Ittihad players to score twice through two games. He also averaged more than a goal a game at Al Nassr before joining Al Ittihad in 2021.

Games played: 2
Goals scored: 2

Al Riyadh would have left their second outing of the season bitterly disappointed having surrendered a two-goal lead to Damac and conceding a 100th-minute equaliser.

Saleh Al Abbas ensured his side got off to the perfect start as he scored twice in the first half, but the visitors struggled in the second period and failed to register a single shot on target after Al Abbas struck his brace.

Games played: 2
Goals scored: 2

Hamdallah got the ball rolling for the defending champs on Matchday 1, but it was Coronado who sealed the deal at Al Raed.

Al Ittihad’s number ten failed to make any strides in Europe’s big leagues and ventured out to the Middle East in 2018. He signed for Al Ittihad in 2021 and scored six goals during their title win last season. Coronado then began 2023/24 with a quick-fire brace on Matchday 1.

Games played: 2
Goals scored: 2

The former Barcelona hotshot who garnered an unfair amount of ‘next Messi’ tags back in the day saw his career in Europe peter out. He eventually departed for Los Angeles FC in 2022, but his time in the States was brief despite signing a three-year deal.

Tello joined Al Fateh in January and enjoyed a fine second half to the 2022/23 season. The Spaniard followed up his four strikes last season with a pair in his first two games in 2023/24.

Games played: 2
Goals scored: 2

Sekala spent two years at Rangers before signing for Al Fayha in the summer. The Zambia international’s career in Saudi Arabia has gotten off to a scintillating start as he scored on each of his first two appearances.

Sekala’s second goal in the 1-1 draw with Al Hilal on Matchday 2 showed off the winger’s spritely burst and eye for goal.

Games played: 2
Goals scored: 3

Malcom is quite possibly the most Saudi Pro League footballer of all time. After enjoying a productive spell at Zenit following his Barcelona exit, the winger will be hoping to spearhead Al Hilal’s return to glory in 2023/24.

His campaign has started excellently, with Malcom scoring a fine hat-trick in Al Hilal’s 3-1 win over Abha on Matchday 1.

Games played: 1
Goals scored: 3

One game, three goals. Life might be pretty easy for Bobby Dazzler in the Middle East.

Allan Saint-Maximin and Riyad Mahrez both teed up Firmino as he bagged a hat-trick on his Saudi Pro League debut. The Brazilian was in the right place at the right time for all three goals, tapping home twice from close range and smartly nodding his first beyond Aymen Dahmen.

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