Hockey World Cup 2023: Top scorers of last five editions

Goalscoring in hockey is not that easy. The goal circle is relatively small. Also, the goalkeeper has plenty of padding to get in the way and close down shots. Moreover, you cannot score from outside the D, which makes goalscoring more precise and adds to the challenge of the game. However, some players have made this art look pretty easy. Here is the list of top goal scorers from the last five editions of the Hockey World Cup.

Also Read: Hockey World Cup 2023: Most titles by countries

1. Sohail Abbas, Jorge Lombi (2002) | 10 Goals

Sohail Abbas of Pakistan was the joint top-scorer in the 2002 World Cup with Jorge Lombi of Argentina. Both scored 10 goals in nine games, but Pakistan defeated Argentina in the fifth-place play-off. Sohail Abbas was praised worldwide as the "King of Drag-Flicks" the Karachi native's speed and accuracy were second to none. It was because of these abilities that he became very hard to deal with for the opposition. Moreover, the Pakistani accumulated 348 international goals in just 311 appearances. On the other hand, Jorge Lombi was one of the most prolific goalscorers for his country during his time. The man from Buenos Aires has 231 goals in 223 matches for his nation.

2. Taeke Taekema (2006) | 11 Goals

Taeke Taekema has the distinction of being the top scorer in two editions. In 2006, he scored 11 goals in seven matches, but the Netherlands could only finish seventh. Four years later, he scored eight goals to help his team finish third. He allover managed to score 221 goals in just 242 appearances for his nation. His notable achievements include a staggering 16 goals at the 2007 Men's Euro Hockey Nations Championship also worth mentioning.

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3. Luke Doerner, Taeke Taekema (2010) | 8 Goals

Australian Luke Doerner was the joint top scorer in the 2010 Hockey World Cup with Taeke Taekema with eight goals, including the winning goal in the final to help Australia clinch its second title. Luke won a bronze medal for Australia in men's hockey in 2008. He also won a gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2005 Champions Trophy title.

4. Gonzalo Peillat (2014) | 10 Goals

Gonzalo Peillat gave Argentina a phenomenal start to its 2014 Hockey World Cup campaign as he amassed nine goals in the group stages, including hat-tricks against New Zealand and South Korea to help his team qualify for the semifinals. He scored his 10th and final goal in a 1-5 loss to eventual champion Australia. Argentina finished third in the Netherlands.

5. Blake Govers, Alexander Hendrickx (2018) | 7 Goals

Blake Govers of Australia was the joint top-scorer in the 2018 Hockey World Cup with Alexander Hendrickx of Belgium. Both scored 10 goals. Blake Govers has been a key member of the Australian squad for the past two years and crucial to its victories at major competitions. Two-time gold medallist at the Champions Trophy will return to Bhubaneswar for the World Cup with pleasant memories, having won the Hockey World League Finals last year in the city. On the other hand, with seven goals in the tournament so far, Alexander Hendrickx has established himself as one of the rising stars in the team.