European Golden Shoe: Lewandowski, Ronaldo, Haaland & Mbappe Lead The Race
As the 2020-21 season gets to the halfway stage, we bring to you the 10 current leaders in the European Golden Shoe race. The race for the highest goalscorer in the European top division is beginning to take shape as different leagues reach the halfway stage.
With the standings at the moment, Robert Lewandowski, who was the runner-up last season has already taken a commanding lead at the top of the table, irrespective of the league’s co-efficiency rating, having notched an impressive 23 goals in his opening 17 Bundesliga games.
According to the European Sports Media, the winner of the European Golden Shoe is determined based on the player’s goal numbers and the strength of his league. For example, goals scored * league strength = total points.
| League | Coefficient Ranking |
| Premier League | 2 |
| La Liga | 2 |
| Serie A | 2 |
| German Bundesliga | 2 |
| Ligue 1 | 2 |
| Austrian Bundesliga | 1.5 |
| Swiss Super Ligue | 1.5 |
Thus, we have checked and decided to bring to you the 10 current leaders for this season’s Golden Shoe.
Top 10 Current European Golden Shoe Leaders
Note: This list is only subject to players from the top-five European league.
Robert Lewandowski – 46 Points
Robert Lewandowski emerged the winner of 2020 FIFA Best Player of the Year and he has so far been a difference-maker yet again for his Bayern Munich side. The striker’s goal contribution has made up 53% of the club’s 53 goals this season.
The Polish forward has also scored at least one goal in Bayern’s last eight league games and is determined to win a first European Golden Shoe after slightly missing out on the title last term.
[Matches: 17, Goals: 23, Assists: 5].
Cristiano Ronaldo – 30 Points
For a second season running, Cristiano Ronaldo has missed out on the Capocannoniere award and also missed out on the chance to add a fifth European Golden Shoe. Now, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has entered his third season with the Old Lady and is more determined than ever.
The former Real Madrid man has taken only 15 games to score 15 goals to win many valuable points for Juventus in their bid for a 10th Serie A title in a row.
[Matches: 15, Goals: 15, Assists: 2].
Erling Haaland – 28 Points
The youngster has kicked off his first full campaign in the German Bundesliga with a brilliant 14 goals in only 13 games. If not for the muscle injury that kept him out of Borussia Dortmund’s last four league games of 2020, Haaland could have been a lot closer to the leader of this list.
But notwithstanding, the 20-year-old Norwegian forward after recovering from a torn muscle fiber has started firing in goals once again.
[Matches: 13, Goals: 14, Assists: 2].
Kylian Mbappe – 28 Points
At this point in the season, Mbappe has made it to the top-five in the European Golden Shoe race. The 22-year-old missed the beginning of the current campaign due to a positive COVID-19 test, but he has once again continued his sensational form for the Paris Saint-Germain side ever since his return to action.
Despite starting only 13 of the club’s 21 Ligue 1 games this season, the youngster still leads the French League’s scoring charts.
[Matches: 17, Goals: 14, Assists: 6].
Also Read
2020 World Best XI: Cristiano Ronaldo Leads A Bayern-Dominated Line Up
5 Best Footballers Of 2020 Across The World – Who Is Your Favorite?
Andre Silva – 28 Points
Andre Silva, who was formerly employed by AC Milan for his services has recently completed a permanent €3m transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt in September and has repaid the club’s faith to make his deal permanent by enjoying an impressive second season in the Bundesliga.
The Portuguese striker has only been outscored by Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland in the German top-flight.
[Matches: 17, Goals: 14, Assists: 2].
Ciro Immobile – 26 Points
Ciro Immobile won the Serie A Golden Boot and the Golden Shoe for the last season. Now the Italian striker has returned to his best, having scored a goal in seven of his last eight Serie A appearances. With his lethal finishes in front of the goal, the 30-year-old forward has helped his Lazio side stay in the top-four race in Serie A and equally progress to the Champions League last-16.
Meanwhile, Immobile is yet to score more than one goal in a single Serie A game this season, which has shown how consistent he is with scoring.
[Matches: 17, Goals: 13, Assists: 2].
Mohamed Salah – 26 Points
It’s obvious that the Egyptian loves to score and has continued to do so without stress for the English champions Liverpool.
Mo Salah is aiming for a third Premier League Golden Boot in only four seasons and has left nothing to chance. Moreover, he is the only Premier League player that appears in this list of the European Golden Shoe leaders. He has been lethal, ruthless, clinical, and extremely effective in helping Liverpool stay strong in their title defense.
[Matches: 18, Goals: 13, Assists: 3].
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 24 Points
The big Swede is the oldest player on this list at 39 years. Ibra is back and ready to lead AC Milan to title success in the Serie A this season.
Zlatan, after being sidelined with muscle and calf injuries from November until January, scored a double against Cagliari recently to take his tally up to 12 goals in only nine league appearances.
[Matches: 9, Goals: 12, Assists: 1].
Andrej Kramaric – 24 Points
The 29-year-old striker scored back-to-back braces against Hertha BSC and Cologne, which has enabled him to break into the top 10 of the European Golden Shoe race.
Kramaric has overcome his knee issues from last season to return to his best form at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. The former Leicester City star has now scored 12 goals in just 14 games.
[Matches: 14, Goals: 12, Assists: 2].
10. Luis Suarez – 24 Points
It took absolutely zero time for Luis Suarez to adapt to his new environment following his move from Barcelona to Atletico Madrid last summer, having scored 12 La Liga goals already, making him the joint top-scorer in the league so far.
The 34-year-old is one of the most in-form stars in Europe right now, with 8 goals in his last 7 league games for the Rojablancos.
[Matches: 15, Goals: 12, Assist: 2].
Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku, Heung-min Son, Harry Kane, Wout Weghorst, Youssef En-Nesyri, and Boulaye Dia all have 24 Points but are outside the top 10 due to an inferior goal-to-game ratio than Luis Suarez.
The European Golden Shoe race has just got to its heat, who do you think will eventually emerge as the winner? Feel free to share your feedback with us via our comments section below!
