Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterThe list of European Golden Shoe winners reads like a who's-who of the game's greatest players - plus a few surprise names.Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry are joined by Nikos Machlas, Kevin Phillips and Ciro Immobile as past winners of the award, showing that you do not need to play for the best teams to lift the trophy.So, what is the European Golden Shoe, how is it decided and who are the contenders to win this year's prize? You may like World Cup 2026 Golden Boot power rankings: Can Erling Haaland top the scoring charts? Ballon d'Or 2026 power rankings: The latest front-runners to lift football's most prestigious individual prize Here are some of the incredible records Harry Kane has broken this season - with more milestones to follow What is the European Golden Shoe?The European Golden Shoe was launched in 1967/68 by French newspaper L'Equipe and is awarded to the top goalscorer in league matches across all of the top divisions on the continent.It became a little bit more complicated when European Sports Media took over the award ahead of the 1997/98 season, when it was changed to a weighted points-based system.This meant goals scored by players in Europe's top five leagues - the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 - were worth two points, goals scored in the leagues ranked sixth to 22nd by UEFA were worth 1.5, and those scored in lower-rated leagues were worth one each.In the event of a tie, the award is handed to the player who featured for the fewest amount of minutes, with further tie-breakers including the number of assists and lowest amount of penalties scored.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Last season's winner was Kylian Mbappe, after the Real Madrid forward scored 31 goals in his first season in the Spanish capital.As of April 15, the Frenchman is second in this term's points table, with his La Liga tally of 23 goals giving him 46 points, two ahead of Manchester City's Erling Haaland.Haaland's points total of 44 puts him two in front of a couple of less predictable names, Real Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi and Brentford striker Igor Thiago, who have both scored 21 goals.But they are all lagging behind Harry Kane, whose tally of 31 Bundesliga goals for Bayern Munich puts him on a huge 62 points.The England captain has enjoyed a record-breaking season in Bavaria and looks set to regain the award he won in 2023/24, his first campaign after joining from Tottenham Hotspur.With Bayern eyeing a treble and the Three Lions heading to the World Cup in North America this summer, Kane will hope it is not the only silverware he wins in the next few months.TOPICSBundesligaPremier LeagueLa LigaJames RobertsFreelance writerJames Roberts is a freelance sports journalist working for FourFourTwo and other titles. He started his career at the Oxford Mail, where he covered Oxford United home and away, before becoming a sports sub-editor for various national newspapers.
