Belgian Pro League top scorers explained

The following is the list of Belgian Pro League top scorers by season, since the inception of the Belgian First Division A in 1895 until the present day.

Arthur Ceuleers and Jules Van Craen hold the record for most goals in a single season at 41. Erwin Vandenbergh holds the record for most awards won, with six wins. The most recent top scorer of the Belgian First Division A is Hamdi Harbaoui.

Criteria

In recent years, the criteria to determine the top scorer in the Belgian First Division A have been extended, making it nearly impossible to have two or more shared winners in a seasonThe criteria are currently as follows, in order:

• Number of goals scored
• Number of away goals scored
• Number of minutes played
• Number of assists
• Number of goals scored, not taking into account penalty kicks

The ranking is computed after each matchday. Until matchday three, the player who scored the most goals during the previous season will play with the image of a "golden bull" on his back. Thereafter, each matchday the leader in the standings will get the image on his shirt.The final standings are computed upon conclusion of the championship playoffs and the Europa League playoffs. The test matches to determine the final team going to the Europa League are not taken into account.

List of top scorers

Player

Name of the player and number of times they had won the award at that point (if more than one)
	Indicates multiple award winners in the same season
	Indicates player also won the European Golden Shoe in the same season
§	Denotes the club were Belgian Pro League champions in the same season

Season!scope="col"

Player	Nationality	Club	Goals
1895–96			FC Liégeois	?
1896–97			FC Liégeois	?
1897–98		Switzerland	Racing Club de Bruxelles	?
1898–99		Switzerland	Racing Club de Bruxelles	?
1899–1900			Racing Club de Bruxelles	?
1900–01			Beerschot AC	26
1901–02			Beerschot AC	16
1902–03		Belgium	Union SG	?
1903–04		Belgium	Union SG	30
1904–05		Belgium	FC Brugeois	?
1905–06		Belgium	FC Brugeois	26
1906–07		Belgium	Racing Club de Bruxelles	29
1907–08		Belgium	Racing Club de Bruxelles	23
1908–09			Racing Club de Bruxelles	30
1909–10		Belgium	Union SG	36
1910–11		Belgium	CS Brugeois	40
1911–12			Racing Club de Bruxelles	35
1912–13		Belgium	Daring Club de Bruxelles	31
1913–14			Racing Club de Bruxelles	28
No official championship played from 1914 to 1919 due to World War I
1919–20		Belgium	Daring Club de Bruxelles	26
1920–21		Belgium	Beerschot AC	23
1921–22		Belgium	Beerschot AC	21
1922–23		Belgium	Union SG	24
1923–24		Belgium	Racing Club de Bruxelles	18
1924–25		Belgium	Berchem Sport	20
1925–26		Belgium	RC Gent	28
1926–27		Belgium	Standard CL	28
1927–28		Belgium	Beerschot AC	35
1928–29		Belgium	Beerschot AC	30
1929–30		Belgium	Daring Club de Bruxelles	26
1930–31		Belgium	RCFC Montegnée	21
1930–31		Belgium	Antwerp FC	21
1931–32		Belgium	Liersche SK	26
1932–33		Belgium	Antwerp FC	26
1933–34		Belgium	Union SG	29
1934–35		Belgium	Daring Club de Bruxelles	28
1935–36		Belgium	Antwerp FC	37
1936–37		Belgium	White Star WAC	22
1937–38		Belgium	Daring Club de Bruxelles	32
1938–39		Belgium	Antwerp FC	31
Championship stopped in 1939-40 due to World War II, while in 1940-41 only an unofficial competition was played
1941–42		Belgium	Antwerp FC	34
1942–43		Belgium	Beerschot AC	41
1942–43		Belgium	Liersche SK	41
1943–44		Belgium	OC Charleroi	34
1944-45 championship not played due to World War II, while the 1945-46 season was stopped for the same reason
1946–47		Belgium	Anderlecht	39
1947–48		Belgium	Anderlecht	23
1948–49		Belgium	Charleroi	26
1949–50		Belgium	Anderlecht	37
1950–51		Belgium	Berchem Sport	27
1951–52		Belgium	KRC Mechelen	25
1952–53		Belgium	Beerschot AC	35
1953–54		Belgium	Anderlecht	29
1954–55		Belgium	Beerschot	35
1955–56		Belgium	Standard	26
1956–57		Belgium	Gent	35
1957–58		Belgium	Beerschot	25
1958–59		Belgium	RFC Liégeois	26
1959–60		Belgium	Liégeois	21
1960–61		Belgium	Liégeois	23
1961–62		Belgium	Anderlecht	29
1962–63		Belgium	Liégeois	29
1963–64		Belgium	Anderlecht	26
1964–65		Belgium	Tilleur	25
1965–66		Belgium	Anderlecht	25
1966–67		Netherlands	Anderlecht	20
1967–68		Belgium	Standard Liège	20
1967–68		Belgium	Anderlecht	20
1968–69		Hungary	Standard Liège	20
1969–70		Germany	Beerschot	29
1970–71		Germany	Standard Liège	26
1971–72		Belgium	Club Brugge	17
1972–73		Netherlands	Anderlecht	16
1972–73		Austria	Sint-Truiden	16
1973–74		Hungary	Anderlecht	22
1974–75		Austria	Antwerp	28
1975–76		Netherlands	Lierse	26
1976–77		Belgium	Anderlecht	21
1977–78		Germany	Standard Liège	22
1978–79		Germany	Beveren	28
1979–80		Belgium	Lierse	39
1980–81		Belgium	Lierse	24
1981–82		Belgium	Lierse	25
1982–83		Belgium	Anderlecht	20
1983–84		Belgium	Seraing	27
1984–85		Belgium	Gent	23
1985–86		Belgium	Anderlecht	27
1986–87		Iceland	Anderlecht	19
1987–88		Belgium	Antwerp	24
1988–89		Australia	Anderlecht	23
1989–90		Australia	Club Brugge	24
1990–91		Belgium	Gent	23
1991–92		Croatia	Cercle Brugge	26
1992–93		Croatia	Cercle Brugge	31
1993–94		Belgium	Cercle Brugge	31
1994–95		Australia	Standard Liège	22
1995–96		Croatia	Club Brugge	20
1996–97		Croatia	Club Brugge	26
1997–98		Croatia	Genk	22
1998–99		Czech Republic	Lokeren	24
1999–2000		Norway	Gent	30
1999–2000		Belgium	Westerlo	30
2000–01		Canada	Anderlecht	23
2001–02		Belgium	Genk	30
2002–03		Belgium	Mons	22
2002–03		Belgium	Genk	22
2003–04		Belgium	Mouscron	28
2004–05			Anderlecht	18
2005–06		Nigeria	Germinal Beerschot	18
2006–07		Belgium	Germinal Beerschot	21
2007–08		Nigeria	Charleroi	18
2008–09		Colombia	Westerlo	18
2009–10		Belgium	Anderlecht	15
2010–11		Croatia	Club Brugge	22
2011–12		France	Mons	25
2012–13		Colombia	Club Brugge	25
2013–14		Tunisia	Lokeren	22
2014–15		Serbia	Anderlecht	20
2015–16		France	Charleroi	22
2016–17		Poland	Anderlecht	22
2017–18		Tunisia	Anderlecht & Zulte Waregem	22
2018–19		Tunisia	Zulte Waregem	25
2019–20			Antwerp	18
2020–21		Nigeria	Genk	33
2021–22		Germany	Union SG	26
2022–23		Belgium	Gent	24
2023–24		Togo	Cercle Brugge	27

Notes

• 1 Originally, Rik Coppens was credited with the title of top scorer for the 1951–52 season with 22 goals, until in 2011 a fan noticed that Jozef Mannaerts had actually scored 23 goals that season and the title changed hands.^[1]
• 2 Josip Weber changed nationality during the 1993–94 season.
• 3 Starting with the 2009–10 season, only 30 games were played in the regular competition to decide upon the title of topscorer. In the first season, the title of top scorer was decided immediately after these 30 games. However, from the season 2010–11 on, the goals scored during the playoffs will count.^[2] If this rule had been in place during the 2009–10 season, Dorge Kouemaha would have been top scorer instead of Lukaku.
• 4 Nigerian striker Henry Onyekuru also scored 22 goals for Eupen, but the top scorer award was given to Teodorczyk as he scored more away goals than Onyekuru.
• 5 Harbaoui transferred from Anderlecht to Zulte Waregem during the winter transfer window. He scored 3 and 19 goals for respectively Anderlecht and Zulte Waregem over the course of the whole season.
• 6 The 2019–20 Belgian First Division A was stopped after 29 of 40 matches played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that point, both Mbokani and Canadian striker Jonathan David had scored 18 goals but Mbokani won the top scorer award as he scored more away goals than David.

References

1. News: RC Mechelen-forward is the top scorer of the 1951-52 season. sporza.be . 2011-12-06. nl.
2. News: Top scorer known only after play-offs . https://archive.today/20120914154630/http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=H737NBB1 . dead . 2012-09-14 . nieuwsblad.be . 2011-03-18 . nl .

• http://users.skynet.be/fb304341/topschutters.htm - List of top scorers