Viktor Gyökeres shows no signs of stopping at Sporting Portugal. On Tuesday evening, the striker scored again in the second leg of the cup competition. However, the Swede is still far from matching Lionel Messi’s best season.
Viktor Gyökeres continues his unstoppable form at Sporting Lisbon, carving his name deeper into the hearts of the club's passionate supporters.
On Tuesday evening, in a tense and hard-fought match, the Swedish striker once again proved decisive, scoring in Sporting’s 1-2 away victory over Rio Ave in the second leg of the Portuguese Cup. His goal, a powerful finish following a swift counterattack, not only sealed Sporting’s place in the final but also reinforced his status as one of the most prolific strikers in European football this season. Despite his extraordinary statistics, Gyökeres still remains some way off matching the almost mythical heights reached by Lionel Messi during the Argentine's record-breaking 2011/2012 campaign.
Now in his second season at Sporting Lisbon, Gyökeres has evolved from a promising talent into an elite goal-scorer. His impact was immediate when he joined from Coventry City, but few could have predicted the level of dominance he would eventually display in Portugal. In his debut season, he played 50 matches across all competitions, finding the net 43 times and assisting 15 goals. These figures alone were enough to place him among the top forwards in Europe, but Gyökeres did not stop there. His performances extended to the international stage, where he scored three goals in six appearances for Sweden, showing that his lethal touch in front of goal was not confined to club football.
This season, however, Gyökeres has gone beyond even the high expectations set for him. He has scored from every conceivable situation: long-range shots, headers, close-range tap-ins, and even solo efforts that saw him dribble past multiple defenders. His tally now stands at 48 goals in 47 matches for Sporting, an almost unprecedented level of consistency. To complement his goal-scoring, he has provided 12 assists, making him not only a finisher but also a creator for his teammates. When adding his international contributions, especially in the Nations League where he scored nine times and assisted four goals in just six appearances between September and November 2024, his numbers swell further. In total, Gyökeres has racked up 57 goals and 16 assists in just 53 matches this season.
These staggering statistics place him among the elite, with involvement in 73 goals in under a year. In his most recent stretch of matches, he has elevated his game even further—13 goals and three assists in his last nine appearances highlight a player at the peak of his powers, seemingly unplayable and full of confidence. The fans chant his name, the media praise his relentless drive, and defenders across Portugal dread facing him.
Breaking down his contributions, the numbers are nothing short of remarkable:
Liga Portugal: 29 matches, 34 goals, 7 assists
Champions League: 8 matches, 6 goals, 0 assists
Taça de Portugal: 6 matches, 4 goals, 3 assists
Allianz Cup: 3 matches, 4 goals, 0 assists
Supertaça: 1 match, 0 goals, 2 assists
Nations League: 6 matches, 9 goals, 4 assists
Total: 53 matches, 57 goals, 16 assists
Despite these phenomenal figures, Gyökeres remains some way off the legendary season produced by Lionel Messi in 2011/2012. During that campaign, Messi scored 73 goals for Barcelona in all competitions, including an astonishing 50 goals in La Liga alone, and contributed 32 assists. That season is widely regarded as the greatest individual season in football history, and while Gyökeres’ output is incredible, it highlights just how extraordinary Messi’s achievement was. With four league games and a cup final remaining, Gyökeres still has opportunities to add to his tally, but matching or surpassing Messi’s record would require an unprecedented finish to his season.
Beyond the numbers, the big question remains: will Gyökeres’ relentless goal-scoring be enough to deliver the league title to Sporting Lisbon? The title race is among the most thrilling in recent memory, with Sporting and Benfica locked on 72 points each. The margin between them is razor-thin, with Sporting holding a slight edge in goal difference—a mere four goals separate the two Lisbon giants. Every match now carries immense pressure, and Gyökeres will be central to Sporting’s hopes of claiming their first league title since 2021.
His performances have not gone unnoticed outside of Portugal. Several English media outlets have reported strong interest from Premier League clubs, with Arsenal reportedly leading the chase for his signature. The 26-year-old has all the attributes to succeed in England’s top flight: strength, pace, technical ability, and, above all, an insatiable hunger for goals. A summer move could see Gyökeres become one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, but for now, his focus remains solely on Sporting Lisbon.
As the season heads into its final, decisive weeks, all eyes will be on Viktor Gyökeres. Can he maintain this incredible form and guide Sporting to domestic glory? Will he inch closer to Messi’s mythical benchmark? And will this be his final chapter in Portugal before taking on a new challenge abroad? What is certain is that Gyökeres has already written his name into the story of Sporting Lisbon’s season, and the ending promises to be just as dramatic as the journey so far.
