Goals, record and trophies: Looking back on Christopher Nkunku’s 2022

Christopher Nkunku wrote his name in RB Leipzig history books last season, with 35 games and 20 assists in 52 games. No other RBL player has ever had a hand in as many goals in a single season. Nkunku’s 55 involvements across the 21/22 campaign ranked the forward in the top four across Europe’s top five leagues. His performances on the pitch did not go unnoticed and Christo was called up to the France national team for the first time, while being named Bundesliga Player of the Year and nominated for the Ballon d’Or. 

A look at the following statistics shows that Nkunku has become even better with the start of the 2022/23 season. There is no end in sight. The Frenchman was dealt a cruel blow towards the end of the year, however, when an injury cost him his ticket to the World Cup in Qatar.

The year in numbers

From the first game of the year against Mainz 05 on 8th January to the final fixture against Werder Bremen on 12th November, Nkunku appeared in 50 of 51 possible matches. The only game Christo missed was a DFB-Pokal second-round win over HSV in mid-October following wrist surgery.

Nkunku found the back of the net 37 times in 2022, including 25 goals in the Bundesliga. He was also on target four times in each of the DFB-Pokal and Europa League, while scoring three goals in the Champions League and one in the German Supercup. Three goals were direct free kicks, but the most important goal was probably his equaliser against Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal final on 21st May. What happened after that is RBL history.

Top form for the new season

Nkunku immediately picked up where he left off in the previous season when 2022/23 got underway. In 23 competitive games since the Supercup on 30th July against Bayern Munich, he has scored 17 goals (including three braces). With twelve goals from 1,282 minutes of play, our number 18 is the current Bundesliga top scorer.

In addition to the three goals in the Champions League and one in the Supercup, the 25-year-old also found the back of the net in the DFB-Pokal. Two of the French international’s goals this season have been direct free kicks.

Les Bleus debut

France national team head coach Didier Deschamps finally gave Nkunku his deserved first international cap in March.

“I am very happy to be able to play for my country. Being called up for the France team is a dream come true for me and I will give my best. I watched the announcement on TV alongside my family. We were all very happy,” said Christo on 18th March this year.

Seven days later, Nkunku made his debut in a friendly against Ivory Coast. He’s gone on to make a total of eight appearances for his country, six of those coming in the Nations League. The wait for a goal goes on, but should surely come in 2023.

Best in Germany

After making history and lifting the DFB-Pokal in May, the forward wrote his name in the history books once again in July. After being voted the league's player of the month a record four times (October 2021, February, March and April 2022), Nkunku rightly won the 2021/22 Player of the Season award presented by the sports magazine ‘Kicker’.

With 134 votes, Christo beat last year's winner and then-Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski (128 votes), who came in second place.

“I feel very honoured and really appreciate being able to accept such an important award. First and foremost, I have to thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the whole club. Without their support, such a season would not have been possible,” said Nkunku upon receiving the accolade.

Ballon d’Or: In the footsteps of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

At the end of the 21/22 season, Nkunku’s incredible campaign was rewarded when he was one of 30 players to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or. The legendary trophy is considered the most prestigious individual award in professional football. Introduced in 1956, recent years have seen the award dominated by two world stars: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

On 17th October, Christo was ranked a joint 25th at the award ceremony organised by France Football at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The winner was Nkunku's national team teammate Karim Benzema.

World Cup drea shattered

Unfortunately, Christo’s record-breaking year did not receive the fairytale ending that it deserved, and we were reminded once again how cruel the game of football can be. After receiving a call up to the France squad ahead of the World Cup, Nkunku was unfortunately injured during a training session on international duty, shortly before he and his teammates were due to fly to Qatar for the tournament. The diagnosis was bad news: a torn lateral ligament in the left knee. And with it, the end of the World Cup dream before it has even begun.

Looking ahead, Christo's next priority is to get healthy and back into top form as soon as possible before taking 2023 by storm just as impressively as the year behind him.