The ISL 2024-25 season was a goal-fest, to say the least, as a fascinating 468 strikes found the net over 24 matchdays plus the playoffs. The campaign was the largest in the division’s history, with 13 clubs participating in the contest. The fascinating scoring numbers were due to the prolific forwards witnessed this season as most clubs hit the mark with their striker signings while the proven stars also took their contributions to better levels. While the Golden Boot Race was not close, eight players hit the double-digit mark and 18 in goal contribution showed the quality of the frontlines this season. We look at the top five goal-contributors of the ISL 2024-25 season who stole the show for themselves on multiple occasions.
Edgar Mendez - Bengaluru FC (9 goals, 4 assists)
Bengaluru FC struggled with firepower in the 2023-24 season forcing them to sign prolific centre-forwards last summer as part of the revamp. Hence, Edgar Mendez and Jorge Diaz were brought in with the profile of being a physical presence in the box and definitive in front of goal simultaneously to jel with Gerard Zaragoza’s tactics. The expectation was on the Uruguayan who was a proven ISL striker with the taste of trophies to be the defining player for the Blues. Instead, it was the Spaniard who shined as the number nine role and even benched the former Mumbai City player for most of the campaign. Mendez’s versatility along the frontline also played a key role along with his aggressiveness and offset the opposition's focus with his mind games. Despite the 35-year-old not being a consistent goal-scorer, his nine goals and four assists throughout the campaign were one of the factors Bengaluru FC progressed to the final of the competition this term.
Jamie Maclaren - Mohun Bagan Super Giant (12 goals, 2 assists)
The most intriguing signing last summer was that of A-League’s all-time top-scorer Jamie Maclaren joining the Shield winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant. The five-time Golden Boot winner in the Australian league scored 154 goals across three clubs and was expected to light up the ISL stage. While Maclaren did not fully hit the required standards by not being close to the Golden Boot race partly due to the injury before starting his career with the Mariners and adaptation to the new environment, he was still one of the most effective players for Mohun Bagan to complete the trophy double this season. Maclaren's highlight moments were scoring in the Kolkata derbies, a sweet taste for the fans, back-to-back winning braces against Kerala Blasters and Punjab FC eventually helping his side to retain the League Shield and above all, scoring the extra-time winner in the ISL Cup final. Overall, ‘Macca’ contributed 14 goals in 25 matches in his debut season for ISL with 12 match-defining strikes.
Sunil Chhetri - Bengaluru FC (14 goals, 2 assists)
It was expected to be a farewell season for Sunil Chhetri in the ISL, as the ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ announced his retirement from the national team. However, the talisman for Bengaluru showed no signs of slowing down by playing the best season in goal return since his first ISL season with the Blues. Chhetri played a key role in the Blues mounting an early challenge for the League Shield and guiding his team to a fourth ISL final appearance. His emphatic performances include orchestrating the 3-0 victory against Mohun Bagan at Kanteerava, a stunning hattrick against rivals Kerala Blasters, becoming the oldest player in the division to do so and scoring the semi-final winner that took the Blues to the showpiece. This is the fifth time Chhetri hit the double figures in goals in his club career and is the lone Indian player in this list. The 40-year-old also came out of his retirement to play for the national team stating that this is not the end of him yet.
Diego Mauricio - Odisha FC (9 goals, 6 assists)
Although Odisha FC did not make the playoffs this season, their Brazilian star remains a key figure in the attack, having another successful individual campaign. Diego Mauricio produced nine strikes this campaign and while it does not come close to the double-figure tally that he managed in previous seasons, the number of assists registered has been the highest in his ISL career. The 33-year-old capability to score and create upped a level this time, even with his strike partner Roy Krishna out for the second half of the season, as he now contributed to most goals in an Odisha FC shirt and ended as the second-most goal-contributor of the season. Once again, Mauricio was the clutch player for the Juggernauts scoring in crucial moments like his brace in both matches against Bengaluru FC. The striker’s contribution cannot be underestimated even though his team failed to finish in the top six.
Alaeddine Ajaraie - NorthEast United (23 goals, 7 assists)
Winning the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot for an exceptional goal-scoring output in the same season highlights how incredible Alaeddine Ajaraie has been not only for Northeast United but for the ISL as a whole. The Moroccan was a blast for the Highlanders scoring a whopping 23 goals in 25 matches, the highest managed by any player in a season in the division’s history, guiding the club to the ISL playoffs having won the Durand Cup in the pre-season. 15 of his strikes came from open play which is also a record, four coming from the spot and the rest from set-pieces showing just how lethal Ajaraie has been. Also, the player who can operate from both flanks alongside his responsibilities as a striker chipped in seven assists showing his capability of being a playmaker and not just a scorer. Already with rumours of a summer move circling, the 32-year-old seems to establish himself as the next big superstar of the league ending as the top goal-contributor for the season with 30.
