Top African scorers in each of Europe’s top 5 leagues

Ace Football checks out the top African goalscorers of all time in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1.

Countless talents have hailed from Africa over the years and made a lasting impact in Europe by dazzling fans with many unforgettable moments.

So which of these players has scored the most goals in Europe overall?

In this feature, Ace Football looks back on each of the top African scorers in history from each of Europe’s five biggest leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France.

Premier League – Mohamed Salah (150 goals)

The ‘Egyptian King’ surpassed Chelsea’s Ivorian legend Didier Drogba to become the all-time top African scorer in the Premier League on October 24, 2021.

Despite a tough first stint at Chelsea, Mohamed Salah is now a household name at Liverpool. The merciless forward has regularly smashed defenses in England since his return in 2017. In six full seasons, he has already scored 150 league goals at Anfield.

Salah added a third Golden Boot to his haul in 2021/22 and hopes to add another in 2023/24, along with a second Premier League trophy with Liverpool.

Visit the link here on Ace Football to see the full list of the top 10 African scorers in Premier League history.

La Liga – Samuel Eto’o (162 goals)

The Cameroonian striker started life in La Liga at Real Madrid as a youngster. His time in the Spanish capital, though, was short-lived. He made just three league appearances for Los Blancos, having spent most of his time away on loan at Leganes and Espanyol.

A permanent €4.5 million move to Mallorca in January 2000, however, proved a game-changer. It was at the Balearic Islands where Samuel Eto’o first made his name. He scored 54 goals in only 133 games for the club and won the Copa del Rey.

A €27 million move to Barcelona followed in 2004. Eto’o continued where he left off in Mallorca by scoring countless more goals, while building formidable partnerships with Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, and Thierry Henry. Cameroon’s record goalscorer won three La Liga titles at Camp Nou.

Out of the five players on this list, Eto’o is the African player with the most goals in Europe overall.

Bundesliga – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (98 goals)

While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is better known for his exploits with Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League, as well as FC Barcelona in LaLiga, nowadays, it was in the Bundesliga where he made his name.

After spells in France and Italy, Aubameyang joined Borussia Dortmund in 2013. The striker spent the following five years hammering in the goals and becoming a chief rival for Robert Lewandowski.

The Gabon international won the Golden Boot in 2016/17 with an impressive 31 goals in 32 games. He surpassed ex-Eintracht Frankfurt and Ghana star Tony Yeboah as the top-scoring African in Bundesliga history in December 2017.

Serie A – Victor Osimhen (56 goals)

In May 2023, Victor Osimhen surpassed the legendary George Weah as the highest-scoring African player in Serie A history.

The Nigeria international has played in the Italian league for Napoli since 2020. The club paid €75 million to sign him from Lille, and it’s fair to say they got their money’s worth.

Osimhen has scored over 50 goals in Serie A in less than 100 appearances. His performances have helped to transform Napoli’s fortunes. He was at the heart of the club’s title win in 2022/23, which ended a 33-year wait for the trophy, and won the Capocannoniere as a result.

Ligue 1 – Rachid Mekhloufi (143 goals)

Topping the list of all-time African scorers in Ligue 1 is Rachid Mekhloufi.

Mekhloufi is not a name known to most modern football fans, largely due to the fact he played from 1954 to 1970. Yet, the Algerian’s achievements were remarkable, with an impressive 143 goals in Ligue 1. He spent the bulk of his career at Saint-Étienne, where he won four league titles and the French Cup.

After hanging up his boots, Mekhloufi moved into management. He coached Bastia, Al-Riyadh, and the Algerian national team on three separate spells until 1982.

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