Suárez is named the top scorer of the year in national championships by IFFHS

AFP PHOTO / JOSEP LAKE

Uruguayan Luis Suárez was named for the third time in his career the greatest scorer of the year in national championships by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). The ranking takes into account only the goals scored in the top national leagues in the world.

Suárez scored 40 goals for Barcelona and overcame Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored 38 for PSG and Manchester United. The Uruguayan had already received the prize in 2010 when he was in Ajax and in 2014 when he was at Liverpool.

With 35 goals, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo was in fourth place, one under the Argentine Gonzalo Higuaín, third with 36. The Brazilian Jonas made 32 goals for Benfica and was in fifth place.

Barcelona's other two stars figured far from the first place. Lionel Messi came in tenth with 26 goals and Neymar in 16th with 24.

See the complete ranking:

1 - Luis Suárez (Barcelona) - 40 goals

2 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG / Manchester United) - 38

3 - Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli / Juventus) - 36

4 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - 35

5 - Jonas (Benfica) - 32

6 - Eran Zahavi (Maccabi Tel Aviv) - 31

7 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 30

8 - Vincent Janssen (AZ Alkmaar) - 27

8 - Nemanja Nikolic (Legia Warsaw) - 27

10 - Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 26

10 - Islam Slimani (Sporting Portugal) - 26

10 - Luuk De Jong (PSV Eindhoven) - 26

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur FC) - 25

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund) - 25

Mario Gomez (Besiktas) - 25

16 - Neymar (Barcelona) -24

Jamie Vardy (FC Leicester City) - 24

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City FC) - 24

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid CF) - 24