Who's leading the race for the Golden Shoe?

The race for the European Golden Shoe is heating up as the halfway mark of the 2025-26 season approaches.

The prize has been won by a different player in each of the past three seasons, with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland the last Premier League-based winner in 2022-23.

The Norway forward is in the running again this term, but faces tough competition from Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe - and plenty of fixtures remaining for other players to throw their names into contention.

What is the Golden Shoe?

The European Golden Shoe or Golden Boot was launched in 1967-68 by French newspaper L'Equipe to celebrate the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of a European league.

European Sports Media took over the award from the 1997-98 season, deciding it would be won on a weighted points-based system, with the goals that players score multiplied by a specific number denoted by the Uefa coefficient of the league they play in.

Goals scored by players competing in Europe's top five leagues - Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 - are worth two points.

Goals scored by players in leagues ranked sixth to 22nd in Uefa's rankings, such as the Portuguese Primeira Liga, are worth 1.5 points, and goals scored in lower-ranked European leagues are worth one point.

While there have been multiple occurrences of players sharing the award, a rule change from the 2019-20 campaign dictates that in the event of a tie on points, the award is given to the player with the least minutes played.

If a tie persists, then number of league assists are counted, and then least penalties scored. Only after those tiebreakers would the award be shared.

Who are the main contenders?

As it stands there is a three-way tussle for the 2025-26 Golden Shoe, with the three previous winners of the award split by just one goal.

England captain Kane is out in front on 19 goals (38 points) after 15 Bundesliga games, while Haaland also has 19 goals (38 points) from 17 Premier League matches.

Mbappe sits one behind on 18 goals (36 points) in 18 La Liga appearances so far.

Darko Lemajic of Latvian club RFS is fourth having scored 28 goals (28 points) across their 36 league games in 2025.

Feyenoord forward Ayase Ueda is joint-fifth on 18 goals (27 points) from 17 games played in the Eredivisie so far this term.

The remainder of the top 10 is made up of players that play in leagues that operate on a calendar year schedule.

Previous winners

The Golden Shoe award has been won by some of the biggest names in football throughout its 59-year history.

Portugal legend Eusebio won the inaugural trophy back in 1968, scoring 42 goals for Benfica. He then claimed the award for a second time in 1972-73.

Argentina legend Lionel Messi has secured the most Golden Shoes, collecting the award on six occasions during his 17-year long spell at Barcelona.

Messi set the record for most goals scored in a single season with 50 in 2011-12 (100 points), as well as becoming the first and only player to date to win it in three consecutive seasons from 2016-2019.

Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo first won the award in the 2007-2008 season at Manchester United before going on to win it three more times with Real Madrid.

The first player to win the award while playing for an English club was Ian Rush in 1983-84, when he scored 32 goals for Liverpool.

The award has been won by a different player in each of the last three seasons.

Haaland scooped the prize for the first time in 2022-23, scoring a Premier League record 36 goals (72 points), with Kane earning his first Golden Shoe with the same total for Bayern the following year.

Mbappe is the current holder of the award after scoring 31 goals (62 points) for Real Madrid in 2024-25.

And same trio are vying at the top of the standings once more this season, with Kane just leading the way as it stands.

Have your say: Which player will win the 2025-26 Golden Shoe award?

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