Annually, the European Golden Shoe is awarded to the league’s top scorer from Europe’s premier national leagues.
This year, the race is closely contested, with Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe trailing closely behind Erling Haaland. As the season progresses, The Sporting News will continue to provide updates on the frontrunners.
Scoring in this prestigious contest isn’t merely about tallying the highest number of goals.
The European Golden Shoe also factors in the competitive level of each league, using the UEFA coefficient rankings to weigh goals accordingly.
For example, goals scored in the Bundesliga are multiplied by a factor of two, enhancing Harry Kane’s overall score based on this multiplier.
This points-based system was introduced in the 1996/97 season after a break due to a protest by the Cyprus FA.
Previously, from 1968 to 1991, the accolade was simply given to the top scorer in any European league, without accounting for league strength or games played.
Notable players like Eusebio and Gerd Muller were among the multiple-time winners during this period.
Goals from the top five European leagues are valued higher, doubling their points and spurring more intense competition among the elite players.
Noteworthy exceptions have seen players like Henrik Larsson and Mario Jardel winning from lesser-known leagues due to their extraordinary performances.
The latest rules, adjusted in the 2019/20 season, introduce tiebreakers such as minutes played, followed by assists and penalties, to determine the winner in the event of a tie.
This evolving scoring system ensures that the award reflects the difficulty of the leagues, thereby honouring truly outstanding scoring achievements in European football.
