Golden Shoe 2019-20: Messi, Ronaldo & Europe’s top scorers

Manchester City’s all-time record goalscorer has shown little sign of slowing down in front of goal and is on course to challenge for the Premier League Golden Boot award.

Despite regularly topping City’s scoring charts, the Argentina international has never managed to clinch the European Golden Shoe. Could 2019-20 be his season?

The Uruguayan has missed a fair bit of the season due to injury but is still proving he can perform at the highest level as he enters the twilight of his career.

Former Newcastle striker Cisse has been in fine form in the Turkish Super Lig this season as Alanyaspor battle for surprise European spot for next season.

The Mexico international has enjoyed a stellar season at Molineux, leading the line brilliantly for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men

The France attacker has been in particularly good form for the Red Devils since the start of February as they step up the race for a top four finish.

Sancho has impressed once again for Dortmund, with the England international showing he can do more than just create goals for others.

The departure of Romelu Lukaku to Inter left a gaping hole in the Manchester United attack and Marcus Rashford was expected to step into the role of Red Devils goalscorer.

Rashford has not quite managed to reach the prolific heights of his England compatriot Harry Kane, for example, but he continues to find the net with regularity.

Denmark international forward Christian Gytkjaer has been a goalscoring sensation with Lech Poznan ever since joining them in 2017.

The 30-year-old is up to double figures for the third season in a row now and is currently enjoying the best scoring campaign of his entire career.

Zambia international Daka was in the shadow of Erling Haaland for the first half of the season, but has been in superb form since the winter break in Austria and looks set to be the next great goalscorer to emerge from Salzburg.

After a difficult spell at Crystal Palace, the Norway striker has thrived while on loan in Turkey.

Cagliari hit the ground running in Serie A in 2019-20 and one of their key man has been Brazilian forward Joao Pedro.

The Spain striker has been a key figure in Villarreal pushing for a Champions League spot

After an injury-hit first half of the season, Colombia international Zapata has picked up where he left off last season as he looks to spearhead Atalanta towards a top-four finish in Serie A.

Former Sevilla attacker Luis Muriel spent the second half of last season on loan at Fiorentina and he made enough of an impact in that spell to convince Atalanta to fork out.

The Colombia international has already repaid the Nerazzurri well and fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that he can carry the form through until the end of the campaign.

After three goal-laden seasons in Spain with Sevilla, Wissam Ben Yedder has returned to Ligue 1 after joining Monaco and he appears to be relishing the challenge.

Despite an injury-hit season for the Spurs striker, he has still been in fine form in front of goal when he has been able to take to the pitch.

The Senegal forward has been having an impressive season for the Reds once again as his side continue their status as Premier League frontrunners.

The France international finished second behind Messi in last season’s list and is hitting his stride again after an injury-hit start to the campaign.

The Liverpool forward was one of the stars of the 2018-19 season, scoring an impressive 22 Premier League goals to share the Golden Boot award.

The England attacker was initially a hit and miss in front of goal this season but has fired freely in the second half of the campaign.

After netting 16 goals for Empoli in 2018-19, Caputo has continued his fine form in front of goal with his new club.

Having struggled for form over the course of recent years, Karim Benzema has rediscovered his striker’s instinct and is back to his devastatingly clinical self.

Jean-Pierre Nsame has been a regular high scorer in the Swiss Super League and is running away with the Golden Boot award in Switzerland after a hugely impressive 2019-20 campaign.

The former Liverpool striker has flourished since leaving Anfield for Southampton, and has already set a personal single-season record for Premier League goals in 2019-20.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shared the Premier League Golden Boot in 2018-19 after finding the net 22 times and he is out to better that haul this season.

The Gabon international is the Gunners’ go-to man for goals and he was recently rewarded with the captain’s armband.

Israel international Shon Weissman joined Wolfsberger from Maccabi Haifi ahead of the 2019-20 season and, with Erling Haaland gone, is the clear top scorer in the Austrian Bundesliga this season.

Leicester City have experienced an upturn in fortunes since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers and one of the main beneficiaries appears to be Jamie Vardy.

The England international looks to have revived his former self and is showing the kind of instinct in front of goal that saw him fire the Foxes to Premier League glory in 2015-16.

Romelu Lukaku is an accomplished goalscorer entering his prime, but there is a sense that he has to prove himself once again after struggling at Manchester United.

However, he has taken up the challenge commendably and is thriving with the service he is receiving from his team-mates at Inter.

Towering teenage striker Erling Haaland has already turned heads across Europe with his impressive showings for RB Salzburg  – scoring 16 times in the Austrian Bundesliga – which earned him a move to Dortmund in January.

He got his start in the German Bundesliga in the most memorable of fashions, scoring a hat-trick during his debut as a substitute.

NOTE: Haaland’s goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.

Six-time Golden Shoe winner and current trophy-holder Lionel Messi is naturally among the contenders for the 2019-20 title.

The Barcelona star finished last season with 36 goals to secure his third consecutive Golden Shoe on the way to domestic glory.

Timo Werner hit a career high of 21 Bundesliga goals in 2016-17, but failed to emulate that form in the subsequent campaigns. However, he looks to have improved in 2019-20.

The four-time Golden Shoe winner did not start the season in his usual electric form but is again proving a thorn in Serie A defences.

Robert Lewandowski has been one of the most prolific goalscorers in the world over the past decade and has surpassed his tally of 22 from last season.

The Poland international appears to have stepped his performances up a gear in 2019-20 and, if he can remain injury free, he will be confident of mounting a serious challenge for the Golden Shoe.

Italy international Ciro Immobile has been one of the most consistent goalscorers in Serie A in recent years and hit the ground running in 2019-20.

He was the top scorer in Italy in the 2013-14 and 2017-18 seasons, but the European Golden Shoe eluded him on those occasions, something he’ll hope to redress this term.