Suarez Named the World’s Top Goal Scorer in 2016

Luis Suarez is kicking his way into the history books…

The 29-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer, a striker for FC Barcelona and the Uruguay national team, topped all goal scorers worldwide in 2016 with 40 goals, according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

Luis Suarez

Suarez won the IFFHS award for the world’s best top division goal scorer 2016 for the third time in his career.

Suarez came ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored 38 goals, and Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain, who notched 36 goals, according to the IFFHS statement.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo was in fourth place with 35 goals, followed by Benfica’s Jonas with 32, while Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Eran Zahavi was sixth with 31 goals.

Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski came seventh with 30 goals.

Suarez now holds the record for winning the award three times with three different clubs in three different countries, according to the IFFHS.

Suarez won the award for the first time in 2010 with Ajax Amsterdam, and then in 2014 with Liverpool.

Among the players who have won this award twice are Ronaldo in 2014 and 2015 and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in 2012 and 2013, though Messi finished in 10th this year with 26 goals.