Set to Break Record: Charlyn Corral Aiming to Top World's Female Goal Scorer List in 2024
Set to Break Record: Charlyn Corral Aiming to Top World's Female Goal Scorer List in 2024
The renowned striker Verónica Charlyn Corral is predicted to end 2024 as the world's premier female goalscorer, according to data from the IFFHS. With a tally of 44 goals across all competitions, Corral has a substantial lead over the second-place scorer, Caroline Graham Hansen. Hansen, who plays for FC Barcelona and Norway, finished with 36 goals, with her absence from Manchester City's final match of the year being a contributing factor.
Finishing third is Belgium's Tessa Wullaert with 33 goals. The IFFHS, an independent organization that collects football statistics globally, has been presenting a leading goalscorer award in women's football since 2021.
Corral scored 39 goals in all competitions in 2023, securing second place in the previous year's list, which was topped by Temwa Chawinga. In 2022, her goal count was 29. With her strongest performance since the award's inception, she has finally clinched the top spot in 2024.
Despite her impressive goal tally, Corral, representing Pachuca Femenil, has yet to secure any trophies. Her team exited the play-offs in the semi-finals, both times in 2024, with Monterrey emerging victorious following a fourth-place finish in the regular standings in Liga MX Femenil across both seasons.
Corral was the leading scorer during the Clausura's first half of the year, netting 19 goals, and followed it up with three more in the play-offs. In the Apertura, she led the scoring chart with 18 goals in the regular season and an additional two in the play-offs.
Corral also contributed with two goals for Pachuca against Tigres UANL in the first edition of the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, a new tournament featuring clubs from the USA and Mexico. Despite her team's poor showing in the tournament, those two goals, along with 42 in the league, brought her total to 44 for the year.
At the international level, however, Corral's form has not been as consistent in 2024. She has yet to score for Mexico this year, having represented the team since 2008, even featuring as a substitute at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup at the tender age of 19.
Mexico started their 2024 Concacaf Women's Gold Cup with Corral starting their opening game against Argentina, but she was later relegated to the bench for the remainder of the tournament. Despite a group-stage victory against the United States, Mexico ultimately fell to Brazil in the quarterfinals and the semifinals.
Corral's 34 league goals in 2023 made her the top female goalscorer in a top-division league for the second consecutive year, with 21 in the Clausura and 13 in the Apertura. Even surpassing England men's captain Harry Kane's 38 league goals, her stellar 2024 performance still fell short of the overall women's award due to Chawinga's strong Cup performance and international goals.
As of now, there is no other recognized award for the leading goalscorer in women's football, despite France Football introducing The Gerd Müller Trophy for the leading male goalscorer in European leagues in 2021.
Before 2021, Corral spent the majority of her career outside of Mexico, where the professional league had not yet been established during her youth years. Post her time with Merilappi United in Finland, she moved on to Spain, where she scored at least 20 goals every season at Levante.
Following a less prosperous period at Atlêtico de Madrid during the coronavirus pandemic, Corral joined Pachuca, where she has already surpassed the 100-goal mark in just three years. In an interview with ESPN Deportes from 2023, she urged more Mexican players to follow in her footsteps and explore opportunities abroad, explaining how it enhanced her skills and broadened her perspective.
- Tessa Wullaert, also a prolific scorer, finished third in the 2024 IFFHS leading goalscorer list with 33 goals.
- In the Liga MX Femenil, Pachuca Femenil, led by Corral, managed a fourth-place finish in both 2024 seasons, falling short in the play-offs to Monterrey.
- Belgium's Tessa Wullaert, like Corral, played abroad before returning to her home country, having spent time at Levante in Spain.
- The IFFHS award for the leading goalscorer in women's football has been presented since 2021, and Corral's 2024 performance secured her the top spot.
- Charlyn Corral, now playing for Atletico de Madrid, urged Mexican players in an ESPN Deportes interview in 2023 to consider international opportunities, citing her own experiences and growth in Spain.