As 2023 nears its end, this year has allowed many Ligue 1 players to establish themselves as household names, including Toulouse FC's Thijs Dallinga. The 23-year-old's performance coincides with the recent success of Les Violets in 2023.
Dallinga, like most young players in Ligue 1, knows that playing in France is the place to sharpen and improve their skills. After arriving in Toulouse from Excelsior Rotterdam in July 2022, the Netherlands international wasted little time adapting to the league.
When the calendar turned to 2023, the goals started coming for the youngster. Dallinga has scored 23 goals in 45 appearances, putting him in a four-way tie for 12th place in Europe's top leagues for the most goals so far this year.
The Toulouse striker is tied with Lille OSC's Jonathan David and French star Antoine Griezmann for goals scored. Additionally, only two Ligue 1 players have scored more goals than Dallinga this year: Alexandre Lacazette and Kylian Mbappé.
Dallinga's touch and finish 😌@ToulouseFC || #UEL pic.twitter.com/2c4U5Q47Na
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) November 11, 2023
Dallinga's individual success has also translated over to the club. Toulouse beat FC Nantes to win 5-1 and lift the 2023 Coupe de France final. Dallinga scored a brace, the two goals coming less than 10 minutes apart in the victory, allowing Toulouse to clinch a UEFA Europa League spot for the 2023-24 season. Furthermore, Dallinga's goal-scoring has carried over to the Europa League in the current campaign. He's scored three goals during the group stage, including a goal in the 3-2 upset win over Liverpool on Nov. 9. Toulouse controls their destiny as they look to advance to the Europa League knockout stages heading into the final matchday. If any football fan has yet to hear of Dallinga, they'll undoubtedly do so, as he has the skill set to help the Ligue 1 side make a surprising run in Europe should they advance.
