The European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an annual award given to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league. The award was originally presented by L’Équipe magazine and is now awarded by the European Sports Media (ESM) group.
The European Golden Shoe was created in 1967 by French sports magazine L’Équipe. The aim was to recognize the best footballer playing in a European league during that season. It was originally called the “European Golden Boot” because it was first presented to Eusébio, who had scored 32 goals for Portuguese side Benfica, and he shot the boot with a gold-plated pistol.
In 1997, L’Équipe invited reporters from other European sports media outlets to vote on the winner. The following year, the award was renamed the “European Golden Shoe” and was expanded to include all leagues from top-flight European nations.
How to Get the Golden Boot?
The criteria for the award are simple: the player who scores the most goals in a European league during a calendar year is crowned the winner. In the event of a tie, the players are ranked according to their minutes-per-goal ratio.
For example, if two players score 25 goals each in their respective leagues, but one player does so in 2,500 minutes and the other in 3,000 minutes, the former would be ranked higher. In some cases, players who finish the season with the same number of goals may be ranked based on their assists totals.
If there is still a tie, the award is shared between the players. The European Golden Shoe is not restricted to players from the continent of Europe; any player who meets the criteria is eligible to win the award.
Who Has Won the Most Golden Shoes?
Lionel Messi has been awarded the golden boot six times, making him the most successful player in the history of the award. Cristiano Ronaldo is second with five awards, followed by Thierry Henry, who won 4 times.
Messi is a legendary Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for the Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He is often considered the best player in the world and has been ranked by many in the sport as the greatest of all time.
A good number of football fans have placed their bets on Barcelona, pegging their hopes on Messi, who does not disappoint. You can make use of the various bonus codes, as getting a no deposit bonus code has never been easier.
Robert Lewandoski won the 2021/22 golden boot with a total of 35 goals. He is an FC Bayern Munich striker from Poland. He is one of the best strikers in the world and has won numerous awards, including the Golden Shoe.
Other notable winners of the award include Alan Shearer, Luis Suárez, Ronaldo, Filippo Inzaghi, and Diego Forlán. Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus is the only player to have won the award in three different leagues, having done so in England, Spain, and Italy. Messi has also won the award in two different leagues, while Henry did so in France and England.
What the European Golden Shoe Means for a Player
Not only does the European Golden Shoe award the player with the most goals in a season with a hefty amount of prize money, but it also cements their legacy as one of the continent’s all-time greats.
Players like Messi and Ronaldo have used the award to cement their places among the game’s elite, and it is unlikely that their records will be broken any time soon. The European Golden Shoe is the most prestigious individual award in European football, and it is one that every player dreams of winning.
When it comes to European football, there are certain aspirations that players have, and one of them is winning the Golden Shoe.
Why the European Golden Shoe is Unique
In most European leagues, there are different awards for goal-scoring. However, the European Golden Shoe is the only award that takes into account every top-flight league on the continent.
This means that the winner of the award is truly the best goal scorer in Europe, and it is an accolade that is highly sought after by players and managers alike.
The European Golden Shoe is also unique in that it only takes into account league goals, meaning that cup goals do not count towards a player’s total. This ensures that the award is given to the continent’s most prolific league goal scorer, and it is something that sets it apart from other goal-scoring awards.
Closing Remarks
There are so many interesting facts about the European Golden Shoe that it would be difficult to list them all in one article. However, we hope that this article has given you a good overview of what the award is and how it works. We also hope that it has given you an insight into why it is such a prestigious accolade and why players dream of winning it.
