European Golden Shoe Rankings - November 2020
The European Golden Shoe, also known as the European Golden Boot, conceptualized in 1968, is awarded to the top goal-scorer in all European football leagues in a season.
Since 1997, the UEFA co-efficient of the league in which a player plays is also taken into account by using it as a multiplier to the player's goal tally for the season.
In other words, a player from one of the top leagues in Europe gets a higher standing in the Golden Shoe rankings (thanks to the higher co-efficient of the league in which he plays) than someone scoring the same number of goals but in a 'lesser' league.
During the course of the award's history, several prominent and big-name players have won the coveted award. Lionel Messi (6) holds the most Golden Shoe awards followed by Cristiano Ronaldo (4). Last season, Ciro Immobile of Lazio (36 goals) won the Golden Show award.
Top 5 players in the 2020-21 Golden Shoe Standings (Top-5 leagues only)
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 season in Europe's top-5 leagues started belatedly. Nevertheless, the Golden Shoe standings of the season already feature a bevy of players from these five leagues.
On that note, let us have a look at the top five top-5 league players in the 2020-21 Golden Shoe Standings in ascending order.
#T5 Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) - 9 goals
Son Heung-Min has burst off the blocks this season, amassing nine goals in as many games in the 2020-21 Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur, while striking up a devastating partnership up front with Harry Kane.
The 28-year-old winger's best return in a Premier League season is 14 goals, which he scored in 2016-17, a tally he could surpass by Christmas this year if he continues scoring at the same rate.
Son Heung-Min notched up his first career quadruple in the Premier League leaders' 5-2 win at Southampton on Matchday 2 to open his account for the season. The South Korean international has since scored five more in his next seven games to surge up the Golden Shoe Standings for the season.
#T5 Kylian Mbappe (PSG) - 9 goals
The stock of French starlet Kylian Mbappe continues to be on the rise, as the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has already conjured two goal-contributions per match in Ligue 1 after seven games (9 goals and 5 assists) this season.
Mbappe may not have opened his account in the Champions League this season, but in Ligue 1, which is often derided as the Farmer's League, the 21-year-old has amassed nine goals, a tally that includes three braces.
The three-time Ligue 1 player of the year, the first one to do so in three consecutive years, could be on course to better his 33-goal tally garnered in 2018-19 and possibly win his first Golden Shoe award if he continues his hot streak for the rest of the season.