Fastest Players to Score 100 Goals: The Ultimate List

By: Abudu Olalekan

You see it happen all the time. A footballer joins a new club, and everyone holds their breath. Will they live up to the hype? Will they score? Some guys, well, they just get straight to it. They don’t waste any time. And a select few, they hit the century mark faster than anyone else. Scoring 100 goals for a single team is a massive deal, a milestone that separates the good from the truly great. But to do it quickly? That’s a whole other level. It’s a statement.

Reportersroom took a dive into the data, and what we found was kinda wild. This isn’t just a boring list, you know? It’s a lineup of pure, unadulterated goalscoring machines. These are the guys who, in an instant, became living legends at their clubs. The list is ranked by how few games it took ’em to get there. It’s a real story, one player at a time.

Let’s start from the bottom, working our way up to the very top.

10. Kylian Mbappe (PSG) – 137 Games

Kylian Mbappe burst onto the scene as a teenager with Monaco. His extraordinary run to the Champions League semi-finals and winning the Ligue 1 title in 2017 made him a hot commodity. PSG broke the bank for his signature, originally on loan, in the same summer they spent €222 million on Neymar. His scoring record in Paris was nothing short of spectacular.

9. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) – 136 Games

Lewandowski had already established himself as one of Europe’s best No.9s with Borussia Dortmund. He played a key role in back-to-back Bundesliga titles and famously scored four goals in one game against Real Madrid in the 2013 Champions League semi-final. It was no surprise that he continued to bang in the goals after joining Bayern Munich on a free transfer. He came close to Gerd Muller’s record of 365 Bundesliga goals but took the record for most goals in a single season, scoring 41 in 2020-21.

8. Edinson Cavani (Napoli) – 135 Games

Cavani’s stint at Manchester United was memorable, but it was at Napoli where he truly shone. He scored 104 goals in 138 appearances across three seasons between 2010 and 2013. That kind of record could have made him a Maradona-esque deity at the Stadio San Paolo if he’d played in a better side.

7. Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Man Utd) – 131 Games

Sir Alex Ferguson had to be patient for the Dutch striker to eventually show up at Old Trafford. His original proposed move was delayed due to a cruciate ligament injury. But once he arrived, he hit the ground running. “He’s just a ruthless, ruthless goalscorer,” said Paul Scholes. “He just lived for scoring goals.”

6. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) – 131 Games

Ronaldo had won the Champions League in four of his last five years at Real Madrid and is the competition’s all-time top scorer. So, there was a certain degree of logic when Juventus signed him in 2018. Things didn’t quite work out as planned, but Ronaldo at least did bang in the goals in Italy, scoring his 100th goal in just 131 appearances in all competitions.

5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG) – 124 Games

Ibrahimovic had already won four Serie A titles with three different clubs, two Eredivisie titles with Ajax, and a La Liga title with Barcelona when he became a statement signing for newly-minted PSG in 2012. He won the title in each of his four years in the French capital, scoring at least 30 goals in each. Fair to say, he delivered what was expected.

4. Luis Suarez (Barcelona) – 120 Games

Norwich City fans still have nightmares about Suarez at his terrifying best at Liverpool. But they could breathe a sigh of relief when he left, becoming Barcelona’s record signing in the summer of 2014. He scored 25 goals in 39 appearances as Barcelona won the treble in 2014-15, and didn’t slow down from there, scoring 59 goals the following year, and eventually 198 across his six years there.

2b. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) – 105 Games

Florentino Perez’s second Galactico project kicked off with the world-record signing of Ronaldo in 2009. The Portuguese icon had to be patient for silverware, but goals were not a problem. He scored a respectable 33 goals in 35 appearances in his first season under Manuel Pellegrini, which was actually his worst return in nine years. He went on to score at least 50 goals six seasons running between 2010 and 2016, and eventually comfortably surpassed Raul as Los Blancos’ all-time top scorer.

2a. Erling Haaland (Man City) – 105 Games

Signing for a bargain £51 million in 2022, a brace on his Premier League debut against West Ham was just the beginning of a brain-melting campaign. Haaland scored 38 goals in all competitions and won the continental treble. The big man hit his century for City at the beginning of his third season with the club, with a well-taken strike against Arsenal.

1. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – 104 Games

Harry Kane scored twice to reach 100 goals for Bayern Munich. Not bad for a one-season wonder. He continued his perfect start to the Bundesliga season with a 4-0 win over Werder Bremen. Kane’s speed and precision make him a formidable force on the field.

These players have not only achieved the incredible feat of scoring 100 goals for a single club but have done so in record time. Their stories are a testament to their skill, dedication, and the sheer love for the game.