First awarded in 1968, the European Golden Shoe honours the continent’s ultimate goalscorer each season.
Since 1997, the winner of the prize has been calculated using a points system which places greater emphasis on Europe’s toughest leagues.
Here, we take you through each recipient of the European Golden Shoe between that change and 2024…
Ronaldo – 1997
The ‘original’ Ronaldo enjoyed the single most prolific season of his career in 1996/97, scoring 47 goals in 49 games for Barcelona – including 34 in 37 LaLiga outings.
It proved to be R9’s only campaign with Barca, but the Brazilian icon certainly left his mark, firing Bobby Robson’s side to victory in the Copa del Rey and Cup Winners’ Cup.
Nikos Machlas – 1998
Greek international Nikos Machlas was absolutely on fire in 1997/98, racking up 34 goals in 32 league appearances for Dutch outfit Vitesse Arnhem.
In doing so, Machlas, who went on to play for Ajax, became Greece’s first European Golden Shoe winner and the first from the Eredivisie since Marco van Basten 12 years earlier.
Mario Jardel – 1999, 2002
While he never found his shooting boots for Brazil, Mario Jardel was an absolutely immense goalscoring force for a string of clubs, among them Porto and Sporting.
He won his first European Golden Shoe after netting 36 times in 32 league games en route to a third straight Portuguese title with the former, then claimed the award again with 42 goals in just 30 league appearances for the latter (ok, 17 were penalties, but still).
Kevin Phillips – 2000
The first English recipient of the European Golden Shoe, Kevin Phillips fired Sunderland to seventh in the Premier League in 1999/2000.
Having struck 52 times for the Black Cats across each of the two previous league campaigns in the second tier, Phillips evidently knew where the net was – but no one could have foreseen his 30-goal return in his maiden top-flight season, as he formed a supremely effective ‘little and large’ partnership with Nial Quinn.
Henrik Larsson – 2001
Arguably Scottish football’s greatest-ever import, Henrik Larsson scored 35 of his 174 league goals for Celtic during a memorable 2000/01 season.
The prolific Swede spearheaded the Bhoys’ charge to the title, averaging almost a goal a game, hitting two hat-tricks and finding the net in three out of four Old Firm derbies.
Roy Makaay – 2003
Roy Makaay’s 29 LaLiga goals in 2002/03 ensured that the Pichichi Trophy, awarded the leading scorer in the Spanish top flight, went to a Deportivo La Coruna player for the second campaign running – having been won by Makaay’s teammate Diego Tristan the year before.
The clinical Dutchman was on target 39 times in all competitions throughout the season, earning himself a big move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2003.
Thierry Henry – 2004, 2005 (shared)
It’s really no surprise that Thierry Henry, Premier League Golden Boot winner four times between 2002 and 2006, got his hands on a pair of European Golden Shoes.
Arsenal’s sublime French frontman claimed the prize outright with 30 league goals during the 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’ campaign, as Arsene Wenger’s Gunners won the title unbeaten; he then shared it with Diego Forlan after netting 25 times in 2004/05.
Diego Forlan – 2005 (shared), 2009
Uruguayan legend Diego Forlan picked up the European Golden Shoe while playing for two different clubs.
The versatile centre-forward shared the honour with Thierry Henry in 2005, having notched 25 goals in his first season at Villarreal, before having it all to himself by striking 32 times in 33 LaLiga outings for Atletico Madrid in 2008/09.
Luca Toni – 2006
One of the last great target men, Luca Toni was, in his prime, among the most formidable strikers in Europe.
And 2006 proved to be the standout year of his career, as he scooped the European Golden Shoe following a 31-goal debut campaign for Fiorentina in Serie A – before winning the World Cup with Italy.
Francesco Totti – 2007
The award stayed in Italy in 2007, and this time it went to Roma icon Francesco Totti – who, aged 30, posted a career-best return of 26 Serie A goals.
While not traditionally an out-and-out centre-forward, Il Capitano had transitioned to the role by the 2006/07 season, and his attacking exploits were crucial to Roma finishing second in the league under Luciano Spalletti.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 2008, 2011, 2014 (shared), 2015
Unquestionably one of the most formidable goalscorers the game has ever seen, Cristiano Ronaldo won the European Golden Shoe while playing for Manchester United and Real Madrid.
The legendary Portugal captain netted at least 31 times on each of the four occasions that he claimed the award (which he shared with Luis Suarez in 2014), bagging a whopping 48 LaLiga goals in the 2014/15 campaign.
Lionel Messi – 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019
Of course Lionel Messi was the first player to win the European Golden Shoe three times – and he ended up doubling that total.
The GOAT collected all six of his awards as a Barcelona player, peaking with a record 50 LaLiga goals in 2011/12 (a season in which Barca didn’t even win the title!) – when he found the net 73 times in all competitions.
Luis Suarez – 2014 (shared), 2016
In his last season at Liverpool, Luis Suarez equalled the record for the most goals in a 38-game Premier League campaign, registering 31 times as he formed a successful strike partnership with Daniel Strurridge and sharing the European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Two years later, the tenacious Uruguayan was the sole winner, hitting the 40-mark in LaLiga for Barcelona, where he starred as one prong of the ‘MSN’ front three alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Ciro Immobile – 2020
Ciro Immobile amassed 169 Serie A goals across an eight-season spell at Lazio, peaking with a veritably prolific 36 in 37 appearances in the 2019/20 campaign.
In doing so, the ex-Torino frontman collected his third capocannoniere award as Serie A’s leading marksman and became the third Italian recipient of the European Golden Shoe.
Robert Lewandowski – 2021, 2022
Poland’s best player of all time, Robert Lewandowski scored for fun in neighbouring Germany for many years – most notable for Bayern Munich.
With 41 goals in 29 Bundesliga outings in 2020/21, he became the first European Golden Shoe winner from the German top flight since Gerd Muller in 1970 – and he went and retained the honour by bagging 35 in 34 the following season.
Erling Haaland – 2023
As debut seasons go, Erling Haaland’s first in England wasn’t too shabby: he broke Andy Cole’s record for the most goals in a Premier League campaign by finding the net 36 times in 35 games for Manchester City.
The machine-like Norwegian helped himself to four hat-tricks as Pep Guardiola’s side claimed a third straight title, including back-to-back ones in only his fifth and sixth appearances for the club.
Harry Kane – 2024
Almost a quarter of a century after Kevin Phillips became England’s first European Golden Shoe winner, Harry Kane picked up the prize off the back of a stellar first season for Bayern Munich.
The England skipper scored 36 goals in 32 Bundesliga outings, hitting four hat-tricks – including two in succession in thrashings of Darmstadt and Bayern’s arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund.
