Europe's Elite Strikers Battle for Golden Boot Glory: Who's Leading the Chase?

The European Golden Boot competition is once again underway for the 2025–26 season, as Europe's most prolific goal scorers compete for the prestigious award following Kylian Mbappé's triumph in the previous campaign.

This accolade goes to the leading goal scorer across all European domestic competitions, with a scoring system that benefits players from the continent's elite divisions. No European Golden Boot champion has emerged from outside Europe's top-five leagues since Sporting CP's Mário Jardel secured his second victory in 2001–02.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo naturally dominated this award during their peak years of dominance, but like the Ballon d'Or, their exits from European football have opened doors for new goal-scoring talents to claim this honor. Luis Suárez and Robert Lewandowski have both captured multiple titles since 2013.

A recognizable name will probably lead the standings once more, even though the past three seasons have seen three different champions.

Here's your complete guide to the 2025–26 European Golden Boot competition.

How is the European Golden Boot Award Decided?

Since 1997, the European Golden Boot operates on a weighted-points system, where goals netted in Europe's top-five competitions—Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1—are valued at double points.

Strikes from players in leagues positioned sixth through 22nd in UEFA's rankings, including the Dutch Eredivisie and Portugal's Primeira Liga, earn 1.5 points each. Goals from competitors in other European divisions are valued at one point.

The player accumulating the highest point total by season's end claims the trophy.

5. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Goals: 13
Coefficient: 2
Points: 26

Though team trophies escaped Harry Kane until capturing the 2024–25 Bundesliga title, the English forward has consistently earned personal accolades.

Kane secured the European Golden Boot in his debut Bayern Munich season, nearly matching Robert Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga goal record.

The striker has another opportunity to surpass the Polish legend's tally of 41 in 2025–26, beginning what promises to be a thrilling campaign for Vincent Kompany's squad in outstanding form.

4. Ibrahim Diabate (GAIS)

🇨🇮 | Ibrahim Diabate SCORED for GAIS in Sweden to secure European football next season 👏

25 y/o striker has scored 17 goals in 28 games this campaign making him top scorer in Allsvenskan 📈 pic.twitter.com/YJsGcLpyuR

Goals: 18
Coefficient: 1.5
Points: 27

The Nordic competitions are significantly further advanced than Europe's premier leagues, explaining why several unfamiliar names currently occupy high positions in the goal-scoring rankings.

GAIS' Ivorian sensation Ibrahim Diabaté stands among them, finishing as joint-leader in the Swedish Allsvenskan with 18 strikes.

Diabaté had netted just one top-level European goal prior to his remarkable 2025 season with GAIS. The 25-year-old will inevitably drop in the European Golden Boot standings soon enough.

3. August Priske (Djurgården)

Goals: 18
Coefficient: 1.5
Points: 27

Djurgården forward August Priske equaled Diabaté's 18-goal output in the 2025 Allsvenskan, with the 21-year-old Danish talent appearing ready for his next career advancement.

Priske's growth was nurtured at the respected FC Midtjylland academy in Denmark, though his abilities have flourished in Stockholm.

2. Darko Lemajić (RFS)

🇷🇸📊 Darko Lemajić has become the FIRST EVER player in RFS history to score 30+ goals in a single season.

Virslīga - 28 goals ⚽️
UCL qualifiers - 1 goal ⚽️
UECL qualifiers - 1 goal ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/aSt8daZEYV

Goals: 28
Coefficient: 1
Points: 28

Though Diabaté and Priske's 18-goal tallies benefited from the Allsvenskan's coefficient weighting, RFS marksman Darko Lemajić has achieved his success through pure volume.

The Serbian forward created club history in 2025, becoming RFS's first player ever to reach 30 goals in a single season for the Latvian outfit, who placed second in the league despite Lemajić's exceptional performances.

28 came in domestic competition, as the 32-year-old experienced his most productive campaign to date.

1. Erling Haaland (Man City)

Goals: 14
Coefficient: 2
Points: 28

Erling Haaland dominated this award in 2022–23, and appears positioned for another victory in 2025–26.

Manchester City have depended heavily on their Norwegian goal machine's extraordinary scoring abilities early this season, with Haaland performing like a player driven after a frustrating 2024–25 campaign that was further hampered by a late injury.

Rankings according to Transfermarkt.com

Last 5 European Golden Boot Winners

European Golden Boot History

The European Golden Boot was initially distributed by French publication L'Equipe in 1967–68, with Portuguese legend Eusébio earning the inaugural award with 42 goals.

During L'Equipe's administration, champions emerged from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania, Austria and Yugoslavia's premier competitions, but the award, like football itself, has become significantly more concentrated since European Sports Media relaunched it in 1997.

Since that relaunch, all except four Golden Boot champions have competed in Europe's top-five leagues. The sole exceptions were Vitesse's Nikos Machlas, Celtic's Henrik Larsson and Mário Jardel, who succeeded while representing Benfica and Sporting CP.

No player has led Europe's scoring rankings more frequently than Lionel Messi, who claimed six victories during his dominant Barcelona era. His legendary rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, earned four titles, contributing to Portugal's record eight total wins.

Notably, the Netherlands has produced the most European Golden Boot champions (four), though only one this century: Roy Makaay in 2002–03, scoring 29 goals for Deportivo La Coruña in La Liga. Previously, Kees Kist, Wim Kieft and three-time Ballon d'Or recipient Marco van Basten also succeeded.