Top 10 players with the most Golden Boots: Messi and Ronaldo outshine the rest

The European Golden Boot, also known as the European Golden Shoe, is awarded to the player who scores the most goals in European leagues, using a ranking system that prioritizes higher-ranked competitions. First awarded by L'Équipe in 1967, it has been presented by European Sports Media since the 1996/97 season. Below, nowgoalpro.net listed the players with the most Golden Boots in history.

Top 10 players with the most Golden Boots in history

Under the European Sports Media system, the Golden Boot is calculated by multiplying the number of league goals by a UEFA-based coefficient. Higher-ranked leagues have higher multipliers, up to a maximum of 2.

10. Robert Lewandowski (2) - Poland (2020/21, 2021/22)

Ranked 10th is Robert Lewandowski, the most recent player to win the award in consecutive seasons. In 2020/21, he produced a historic Bundesliga campaign, scoring 41 goals in 34 matches and breaking Gerd Müller’s long-standing record. He finished 11 goals clear of Lionel Messi. The following season, Lewandowski scored 35 goals to retain the award before leaving Bayern Munich for Barcelona.

9. Luis Suárez (2) - Uruguay (2013/14 shared, 2015/16)

Luis Suárez is one of the few players to win the Golden Boot while outperforming both Messi and Ronaldo. In 2013/14, he scored 31 goals in 33 matches for Liverpool, without taking a single penalty. In 2015/16, Suárez reached an even higher level at Barcelona, scoring 40 La Liga goals to win the award outright during the peak years of Messi and Ronaldo.

8. Diego Forlán (2) - Uruguay (2004/05 shared, 2008/09)

Diego Forlán stood out during the 2000s and early 2010s. His best years came in Spain, beginning with 25 goals for Villarreal in 2004/05, which earned him a shared Golden Boot with Thierry Henry. Four years later, he scored 32 goals for Atlético Madrid to win the award outright, becoming only the second player to achieve this twice at the time.

7. Thierry Henry (2) - France (2003/04, 2004/05 shared)

Thierry Henry won the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons. In 2003/04, he scored 30 goals as Arsenal went unbeaten to win the Premier League. In 2004/05, despite Arsenal failing to defend their title, Henry still scored 25 goals to share the award with Diego Forlán.

6. Fernando Gomes (2) - Portugal (1982/83, 1984/85)

A key figure in Portuguese football during the 1980s, Fernando Gomes won both of his Golden Boots with Porto. He scored 36 goals in the 1982/83 season and followed that with 39 goals in 1984/85. His influence helped elevate both Porto and Portuguese football during that era.

5. Dudu Georgescu (2) - Romania (1974/75, 1976/77)

One of the greatest players in Romanian football history, Dudu Georgescu won the Golden Boot in 1974/75 with 33 goals. He claimed it again in 1976/77 with 47 goals, a record for goals in a single season that stood for more than 30 years until Lionel Messi broke it in 2012.

4. Gerd Müller (2) - West Germany (1969/70, 1971/72)

Before Lewandowski, Bayern Munich’s iconic striker was Gerd Müller. He scored 38 goals in the 1969/70 Bundesliga season and later became the only player to win both the European Golden Boot and the World Cup Golden Boot in the same year. In 1971/72, he scored 40 league goals, a record that lasted nearly five decades.

3. Eusébio (2) - Portugal (1967/68, 1972/73)

Nicknamed “The Black Panther,” Eusébio combined speed and powerful finishing to dominate European football. He won the inaugural Golden Boot in 1967/68 with 42 goals in 24 matches. In 1972/73, he scored 40 goals and led Benfica to an unbeaten league title.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo (4) - Portugal (2007/08, 2010/11, 2013/14 shared, 2014/15)

Cristiano Ronaldo ranks second with four Golden Boot awards. In 2007/08, while still at Manchester United, he scored 31 league goals and won the treble, earning both the Golden Boot and his first Ballon d’Or. After joining Real Madrid, he consistently battled Messi, peaking in 2014/15 with 48 La Liga goals to become the first player to win the award four times.

1. Lionel Messi (6) - Argentina (2009/10, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19)

Lionel Messi holds the record with six Golden Boot titles. His most dominant period came between 2011 and 2013, when he scored 50 league goals in 2011/12 and 46 in 2012/13. He later added three consecutive wins from 2016 to 2019, each season scoring more than 34 La Liga goals. In 2019, at the age of 32, Messi claimed his sixth and most recent Golden Boot.

This article from NowGoal Pro the list of the 10 players with the most Golden Boots in history. For more football news and insights, follow us here for future updates.