8 in a row: Balogun joins Ligue 1’s modern scoring streak elite

Eight consecutive Ligue 1 matches, eight goals, it’s the kind of rhythm that elevates a striker into the historical conversation. With his equalising penalty against Auxerre, Folarin Balogun not only rescued a point for AS Monaco, but also joined one of the most exclusive groups in the modern era of the French top flight.

A modern benchmark still untouched

The reference point remains Sonny Anderson, whose remarkable streak of 11 consecutive Ligue 1 matches with a goal for Olympique Lyonnais in 2001 continues to stand as the gold standard. Achieved during Lyon’s rise to dominance, Anderson’s run is not just a record, but the sign of a rising dynasty during the 2000s.

Monaco’s historical link to the streak

Balogun’s feat also reconnects Monaco with its own history. Shabani Nonda was the first to score in eight straight Ligue 1 matches for the club back in 2003, during one of the most successful periods in their modern history. Years later, Rony Lopes replicated the feat in 2018, demonstrating that such runs are not exclusively the domain of traditional centre-forwards. Balogun now becomes the third Monaco player this century to reach this milestone — and arguably the most complete focal point among them.

A recent precedent in Lyon

The last player to achieve this before Balogun was Moussa Dembélé, who scored in eight consecutive matches for Lyon in 2022. His run came in a turbulent season for the club, but Dembélé managed to transcend that inconsistency with his goal-scoring for the club. 

So, if Balogun can now add to his streak - he'll be able to edge closer to Anderson's record of 11 with only four games of the season left to play. 

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