May 22, 2025 - Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres has made a big impact in Portuguese football. He finished the season with an impressive number of goals, placing himself among the top scorers in a single season in Portugal’s football history.

At 26 years of age, the Sporting striker took the ninth spot on this elite list. He was just one goal short of the magical 40-goal mark, a record that only four legends have reached — including Peyroteo from Sporting and Eusébio from Benfica, who both achieved it more than once.

Peyroteo and Eusébio: The First Legends to Hit 40 Goals

Peyroteo scored 43 goals in the 1946/47 season and again reached 40 goals in 1948/49, both in just 26 matches. Eusébio also made history, scoring 42 goals in 1967/68 and hitting 40 goals again in 1972/73.

Yazalde Still Holds the Record

At the very top of the list is Argentine striker Héctor Yazalde, who scored 46 goals in the 1973/74 season. He did this in just 30 matches — a record that still stands strong after more than 50 years.

Jardel’s Dominance in the 2000s

Brazilian striker Mário Jardel also crossed the 40-goal mark. He first stood out with 36 goals in 1998/99 and 38 goals in 1999/2000 for Porto. Later, he reached 42 goals for Sporting in 2001/02, marking the peak of his career.

Gyokeres Equals Legends with 39 Goals

This season, Viktor Gyokeres scored 39 goals, matching the totals of Fernando Gomes (1984/85) and Peyroteo (1945/46). Peyroteo’s 39 goals came in just 22 games, showing an incredible scoring rate.

Peyroteo’s Unmatched Goal Average

Peyroteo also had a record-breaking average of 2.4 goals per match in the 1937/38 season. He scored 34 goals in just 14 games, which is still one of the best averages in history.

Gyokeres Surpasses Recent Stars

In the last two decades, since Jardel’s era, Gyokeres has done better than other modern greats like Sporting’s Bas Dost (34 goals in 2016/17) and Benfica’s Jonas (34 goals in 2017/18).