Who are the best scorers in the Brasileirão since 2003

Since the Brazilian Championship adopted the points system in 2003, the competition started to reward regularity and consistency over 38 rounds. In this scenario, the role of the top scorer gained a new dimension, requiring not only explosions of talent, but also a high level of performance throughout the season. This article details who are the best scorers in the Brasileirão in this era, presenting the numbers, profiles and legacy of these athletes who marked their names in the history of the country’s main football tournament.

The impact of the running points format on artillery

The change to the straight points format in 2003 profoundly changed the dynamics of the Brasileirão. Previously, the knockout system allowed a team or player with a good final stage to stand out. With the new formula, artillery became a direct reflection of a striker’s ability to maintain high performance for months, facing all opponents in round-trip games.

This means that, to be among the greatest scorers of the era, a player needs a combination of factors:

• Longevity: Playing for several seasons at a high level in Brazilian football.
• Consistency: Score goals regularly, and not just at peaks of performance.
• Adaptation: Maintain the ability to score goals for different clubs and under different tactical schemes.

The definitive list of the era’s greatest goalscorers

The elite scorers of the Brasileirão in terms of consecutive points are made up of names that have become idols in several clubs and synonymous with goals in national football. The list is easily led by one of the most iconic center forwards of the century.

1. Fred: 158 goals
2. Diego Souza: 130 goals
3. Gabigol (Gabriel Barbosa): 116 goals
4. Wellington Paulista: 109 goals
5. Aleksandro: 102 goals
6. Borges: 99 goals
7. Paulo Baier: 99 goals
8. Rafael Moura: 96 goals

The data considers the goals scored until the end of the 2023 Brazilian Championship.

Goalscorer profiles: analysis and records

Each player at the top of the top scorers list has distinct characteristics and trajectories that explain their lasting success in the competition.

• Fred: The absolute leader of the era of running points is the personification of the classic center forward. With remarkable spells for Fluminense, Cruzeiro and Atlético-MG, he stood out for his lethal positioning inside the area and his precise finishing. Fred was top scorer in the Brasileirão in three editions (2012, 2014 and 2016), a record in the points race era that he shares with Dadá Maravilha and Túlio Maravilha in the general history of the competition.

• Diego Souza: A versatile player, who played both as a midfielder and as a striker. His long-distance finishing ability and good aerial play kept him as a constant threat. He was top scorer in 2016, alongside Fred and William Pottker, and was notable for scoring important goals for clubs such as Sport, Grêmio, Vasco and Palmeiras.

• Gabigol: With an impressive goals per game average, especially in his seasons with Flamengo, Gabriel Barbosa quickly climbed the rankings. Champion and top scorer in 2018 (for Santos) and 2019 (for Flamengo), he became the first player to be the competition’s top scorer for two consecutive years for different teams.

• Wellington Paulista: A true “wanderer” of Brazilian football, the center forward built his brand through regularity and presence in the area, scoring goals for a wide range of clubs, such as Cruzeiro, Fortaleza, Chapecoense and América-MG.

The list of top scorers from the Brasileirão’s points era is a testament to excellence, consistency and longevity. Led by Fred, an icon of the center forward position, the list of names like Diego Souza, Gabigol and Wellington Paulista demonstrates that, to make a mark in the most balanced championship in the country, you need more than talent: you need to deliver results continuously, season after season. These athletes not only scored goals, but defined a generation of national football.