Kylian Mbappé Wins European Golden Shoe
Kylian Mbappé, the French football superstar, has at long last been honored with the European Golden Shoe award, which he actually secured months ago after leading the continent’s leagues in goals scored during the 2024-25 season. Officially acknowledged for his achievement back in May, Mbappé received his trophy just before Real Madrid’s LaLiga match against Valencia last week. The talented striker netted an impressive 31 goals in the league over the previous season, placing his name among notable past recipients of this prestigious award.
He now joins a select group of Real Madrid legends, becoming only the third player from the club to win this accolade, following in the footsteps of the iconic Hugo Sánchez and Cristiano Ronaldo, who claimed the title four times during his illustrious career within the club.
History of the Golden Shoe
The Golden Shoe has a rich history, having first been awarded in the 1967-68 season, starting with Eusébio as the initial winner. Over the years, it has recognized the talents of many prolific scorers, including Gerd Müller, Marco van Basten, and Lionel Messi, among others.
However, it is noteworthy that for the upcoming 2025-26 season, the race for the Golden Shoe is currently led by a relatively lesser-known player named Darko Lemajic. The 32-year-old striker plays for Rigas Futbola Skola (RFS) in Latvia, where he has impressively netted 28 goals so far.
Current Standings and Competition
Lemajic’s tally comes as his league operates mostly under a summer schedule, running from March to November, giving him the advantage of completing 35 games while more prominent players like Mbappé and Erling Haaland have only recently begun their seasons, with around 10 matches into their respective campaigns.
Additionally, the method of calculation for the Golden Shoe considers the competitiveness of the league in which goals are scored. Since 1997, a weighted points system has been utilized, assigning different multipliers based on UEFA rankings. Goals scored in the top five leagues are valued higher, having a multiplier of two, while those in lower leagues receive multipliers of 1.5 or 1, depending on the league’s rank. With this system, Lemajic’s 28 goals yield only 28 points, while Mbappé and Haaland’s 13 goals each translate to 26 points due to their multiplier.
The Golden Shoe leaderboard often sees a significant presence of players from Scandinavian leagues, which also tend to follow summer schedules, thus allowing their players to compete effectively in terms of goal tallies. Lemajic, who likely has at least one more match to play this season, may increase his scores even further.
Other Contenders
As for the other contenders, Harry Kane is showing remarkable form in the Bundesliga with 12 goals in just nine appearances this season, suggesting that he could soon climb the Golden Shoe rankings significantly. In Sweden’s Allsvenskan, three players, including Besara from Hammarby, are tied at the top of the scoring charts; however, the club has struggled behind unexpected winners, Mjällby AIF, despite Besara’s efforts.
In the Eliteserien, with several matches remaining, both Høgh and Karlsbakk are tied as leading goal scorers. Meanwhile, in the Faroe Islands Premier League, Runavik’s striker Olsen has outperformed other top scorers despite his team finishing well behind the champions.
Back in LaLiga, Mbappé is demonstrating serious intent by already surpassing his rivals by a margin of six goals this season, having scored consistently in his last eight appearances. Haaland, on the other hand, boasts 11 goals in his first 13 league matches and is quickly approaching a historic milestone of 100 Premier League goals, aiming to beat an enduring record.
With such fierce competition, the race for the 2025-26 European Golden Shoe promises to be thrilling as more games unfold.
