The European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association football award presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league. From its inception in the 1967–68 season, the award, originally called Soulier d'Or, which translates from French as Golden Shoe or Boot, has been given to the top goalscorer in all European leagues that season. Originally presented by L'Équipe magazine, it has been awarded by the European Sports Media since the 1996–97 season.
History
Between 1968 and 1991, the award was given to the highest goalscorer in any European league. This was regardless of the toughness of the league in which the top scorer played and the number of games in which the player had taken part. During this period Eusébio, Gerd Müller, Dudu Georgescu and Fernando Gomes each won the Golden Boot twice.[1]
Following a protest from the Cyprus FA, which claimed that a Cypriot player with 40 goals should have received the award (though the official top scorers for the season are both listed with 19 goals), L'Équipe issued no awards between 1991 and 1996.
Since the 1996–97 season, European Sports Media have awarded the Golden Shoe based on a points system that allows players in tougher leagues to win even if they score fewer goals than a player in a weaker league. The weightings are determined by the league's ranking on the UEFA coefficients, which in turn depend on the results of each league's clubs in European competition over the previous five seasons. Goals scored in the top five leagues according to the UEFA coefficients list are multiplied by a factor of two, goals scored in the leagues ranked six to 21 are multiplied by a factor of 1.5, and goals scored in leagues ranked 22 and below are multiplied by a factor of 1.[2] Thus, goals scored in higher ranked leagues will count for more than those scored in weaker leagues.[3]
Winners
Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to have won the European Golden Shoe four times.
Gerd Müller was the first player to win the award twice, in 1970 and 1972.
Statistics
Multiple winners
Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to have won the European Golden Shoe four times, between 2008 and 2015, winning once with Manchester United and three times with Real Madrid. Barcelona's Lionel Messi was the first player to win three Golden Shoes, between 2010 and 2013, and holds the all-time record with 50 goals scored in 2011-12. Bayern Munich's Gerd Müller was the first player to win the award twice, in 1969–70 and 1971–72, among eight two-time winners.
Only Ally McCoist (1991–92, 1992–93), Thierry Henry (2003–04, 2004–05), Lionel Messi (2011–12, 2012–13), and Cristiano Ronaldo (2013–14, 2014–15) won the award in consecutive years. Diego Forlán (Villarreal, Atlético Madrid), Mário Jardel (Porto, Sporting CP), and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only players to win the award with two different clubs, of whom Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to do so in two different leagues.
Winners by team
Winners by nationality
Winners by league
References
- General
- Arotaritei, Sorin; Di Maggio, Roberto; Stokkermans, Karel (29 February 2012). "Golden Boot ("Soulier d'Or") Awards". Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
- Specific
External links
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Ronaldo, CristianoCristiano Ronaldo
Messi, LionelLionel Messi
Müller, GerdGerd Müller
Georgescu, DuduDudu Georgescu
McCoist, AllyAlly McCoist
Jardel, MárioMário Jardel
Henry, ThierryThierry Henry
Forlán, DiegoDiego Forlán
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