Gyokeres, Mbappe, Salah: The merits of this season's EU Golden Boot contenders

As we close in on the end of another remarkable season of football across the continent, the race for the European Golden Boot is still alive.

The award, presented to the top scorer in Europe for league goals scored only, has seen some prestigious winners over the years.

Lionel Messi, who else, has set the benchmark both with the number of wins (six), and the highest amount of league goals scored in one season - 50 - for Barcelona in the 2011/12 season.

Lionel Messi poses with his six European Golden Boot awardsAdria Puig / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu via AFP / Profimedia

The roll call of those who have also earned the prestigious gong is impressive, too.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, Thierry Henry, Robert Lewandowski and many more have been able to call themselves Europe's top goalscorer on at least one occasion.

Lewandowski an outside chance of winning his third award

For Barcelona's No. 9, he was on course to add to his awards in 2020/21 and 2021/22 after another stellar campaign with the Catalans, however, injury struck at just the wrong time and with three games left to play, the Polish international finds himself in fifth position in the 2024/25 race.

Given his advancing years - at 36, he's the oldest swinger in town in this particular list - that's still mightily impressive.

He may even land the Pichichi, which is LaLiga's top goalscorer award, given he's just three goals behind Kylian Mbappe (28 goals).

Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski have both scored for fun in LaLiga this seasonAlberto Gardin/NurPhoto/Shutters / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

The French international might well have been everyone's pick for the European Golden Boot at the start of the 24/25 season, and he's certainly scored with his usual regularity in what will be considered an underachieving Real Madrid side, despite his presence.

Mbappe's goals really should've helped fire Los Blancos to silverware, but problems elsewhere in the team have meant that Real lost the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey to Barcelona, were knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal and are on the verge of losing the Spanish top-flight title to their biggest rivals.

10 goals ahead may still not be enough for Gyokeres

At the time of writing, Mbappe is in second place and though he's 10 goals away from Viktor Gyokeres at the top, the coefficient ranking that was introduced in 1991 - with players earning points in the system based on the various quality of each European league - means that the Frenchman is just a point behind the Swede.

To Gyokeres' credit, he's remained at Sporting in the aftermath of Ruben Amorim's move to Manchester United and has continued to be 'the man' at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

There are surely question marks over his immediate future now, however.

Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres celebrating his goal against Moreirense on April 18th 2025Joăo Bravo/SPP / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

In the current season alone, he has five league hat-tricks, not to mention scoring four goals on three occasions and another treble in the Champions League against Manchester City.

If there is not a queue of takers for the 26-year-old's services this summer, it would be a huge surprise.

Strong, intelligent and with a cast-iron determination, Gyokeres is everything a modern-day centre-forward should be, and it's about time he's finally given the platform in one of Europe's elite leagues to be able to strut his stuff.

Salah aiming to make it a vintage season

Mohamed Salah is arguably the only other player who has a chance of winning the award at present.

The Liverpool man's 28 league goals to date helped his side to a brilliant Premier League title, and put him on an equal footing with Mbappe, just a point behind Gyokeres.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring against Tottenham HotspurSports Press Photo / ddp USA / Profimedia

Two games left of the campaign against Brighton and Crystal Palace won't be easy for the Reds, but with the title already won, they can afford to ensure the Egyptian King is played in on goal a little more often than usual.

It would be his first European Golden Boot too, and coming in a Premier League-winning year would make it extra special.

Kane's first major silverware is likely to be his only trophy this season

Harry Kane has one game left of the Bundesliga season to improve upon his current tally of 25 goals, and though Bayern Munich should beat Hoffenheim, it's unlikely to be enough for the England captain to overhaul those above him.

Like Salah, however, he does have the consolation of a league title win and given that it's the first major trophy of Kane's career, there's little chance of the shine being taken off what's been another magnificent goalscoring season for him.

Harry Kane celebrates scoring for Bayern MunichAndrew Milligan, PA Images / Alamy / Profimedia

Erling Haaland would certainly have had a chance of retaining his crown if his Manchester City side had been up to their usual high standard. 

Even before the Norwegian was injured, however, Pep Guardiola's side had been a poor imitation of their former selves, and Haaland was never likely to trouble his striking contemporaries because of that.

Dembele and Isak out of the race despite stellar seasons

Newcastle's Alexander Isak can be pleased with his contribution this season too, including a goal in the League Cup final win over Liverpool, the Magpies' first trophy in 70 years.

23 goals scored so far have him in seventh for the race for the European Golden Boot, sandwiched in between Mateo Retegui and Mika Biereth (24 goals each - Biereth is coefficient-affected due to his goals in Austria).

Making up the top 10 is one of the standout players in European football this season.

Ousmane Dembele celebrates another goal for PSGAdam Davy, PA Images / Alamy / Profimedia

Ousmane Dembele had long been known as an idle and wasteful player, but under Luis Enrique, he has absolutely found his mojo.

The French World Cup winner has helped fire his Paris Saint-Germain side into only their second Champions League final, whilst his 21 Ligue 1 goals contributed heavily to PSG taking the title. 

With one match left of the French league season, he remains top of the charts domestically, so unless Mason Greenwood bags a hat-trick for Marseille on the last day, Dembele will reign supreme there, at least.

A race that'll go right to the wire

Unless there is a huge surprise, this season's European Golden Boot will come from one of the current top three.

With Salah's two games as detailed above to come, Mbappe to play against both Sevilla and Real Sociedad and Gyokeres's Sporting side still needing to win their final league game of the season against Vitoria Guimaraes to take the Primeira Liga title, who is your money on?

AuthorFlashscore