Ranking the 5 best European Golden Boot-winning seasons in football history
The European Golden Boot is awarded to the highest goalscorers across domestic leagues in Europe every season. It was introduced in the 1967-68 season and was known as the Soulier d'Or. Portuguese forward Eusebio was the first player ever to receive the award after scoring 40 goals in all competitions for SL Benfica.
The European Golden Boot award puts into consideration a couple of factors, including the number of goals scored and the league's point value, to determine the winner.
Goals scored in Europe's top five leagues are multiplied by a factor of two, while goals scored in leagues six to 21 are multiplied by a factor of 1.5. Meanwhile, goals scored in any other league are multiplied by a factor of one.
Being one of the most prestigious individual accolades in the sport, it comes as no surprise that the European Golden Boot always produces intense competition. With the finest attackers on the continent going head-to-head for the prize, you can always expect the race to be nothing short of exciting.
The award has given us unforgettable memories over the years. Many players have mesmerized us with their unbelievable exploits in front of goal and won the award in stunning fashion.
In line with that, we've decided to rank the five best European Golden Boot-winning seasons in football history.
#5 Ronaldo Nazario: 1996-97
Ronaldo Nazario joined Barcelona in the summer of 1996 on a transfer worth €15 million. The legendary striker went on a full rampage immediately after landing at Camp Nou. He destroyed even the most organized defenses in La Liga with his incredible goalscoring knack.
25 years ago today, Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima scored one of the greatest goals of all time.
A goal so good that Bobby Robson simply could not believe what he'd just seen.
https://t.co/PZAx5dHTR6
Unfortunately, Ronaldo couldn't wear the Blaugrana jersey for long as he left the club to join Serie A outfit Inter Milan after just one season. However, he managed to prove his worth and won the hearts of many fans in that sole campaign.
Ronaldo bagged an incredible 34 goals for Barcelona in 37 La Liga games in the 1996-97 season. That earned him the prestigious European Golden Boot in 1997.
#4 Thierry Henry: 2003-04
In 2003-04, Arsenal made history by becoming the first and only Premier League club to win the title without tasting defeat throughout the course of the campaign. The Gunners had a number of top performers during the season, but Thierry Henry was on another level.
Thierry Henry and the 2003-04 @Arsenal Invincibles inspired a generation, but what if Invincible never was?
Watch now: youtube.com/watch?v=YkV51H… https://t.co/gF9scofu6L
The Frenchman was a beast in front of goal, finding the back of the net almost at will and giving Arsene Wenger's men a massive boost upfront.
That season, Henry contributed a whopping 30 goals and nine assists for Arsenal in 37 Premier League games.
The Gunners icon claimed the EPL Golden Boot that year. He also won the European Golden Boot. It was, without a doubt, one of the brightest seasons of his highly decorated career.