The European Golden Boot is an individual trophy admired by many footballers. The award shows that a player is the highest goalscorer of a particular season. To win this award demands the footballer to play at an advanced position in attack. This is evident from past winners such as Suarez, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. These players were drafted into the attacking positions of their respective teams.
Last season, Harry Kane won the European Golden Boot. This didn’t come easy as he had many players aiming for that award. There were debates if he had done much to deserve it. This was due to Bayern’s lackluster season. Will he defend his award this season? This article discusses six players who are favorites to win the 2024/24 season Golden Boot.
These are six players who are strong contenders for the European Golden Boot this season:
Harry Kane
Harry Kane is one of the contenders for the European Golden Boot. He plays for Bayern Munich. Kane is not a new name in the Golden Boot conversation. He successfully won the prestigious award in the 2023/24 season. Another factor that makes him the favorite is his teammates. Bayern Munich players such as Musiala, Sane, and Thomas Muller are naturally creative players. As a result, he would find it easy to score goals.
Last season, Kane was coached by Thomas Tuchel. The system under Tuchel was a pragmatic one. This was because Thomas Tuchel adapted his players to counter the opponent’s structures. Contrary to this, Kompany plays a more attacking system. This means that Kane would even get more goal-scoring opportunities. In the 2023/24 season, Kane scored a total of 36 goals. He is expected to score more this season because of the new manager’s style of football.
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is not a strange name when it comes to goal-scoring. The Manchester City striker scored 26 goals last season. The Norwegian poacher won the European Golden Boot award in the 2022/23 season. This was just in his debut season for Manchester City. He did not perform to his optimum last season because of injury.
There is yet another reason Haaland is the favorite to clinch the award. Last season, he competed with Julian Alvarez for the number 9 position. Now, Julian has been sold to Athletico Madrid. This only means that Erling Haaland would make more appearances for Manchester City. Julian scored a total of 16 goals for Manchester City in all competitions. If you add that to Erling’s goal tally, he would have clinched the trophy.
Manchester City also boast of an array of creative midfielders. Erling could take advantage of this coming into this season. Players like Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Doku are renowned for their goal-creating chances for Manchester City. This season we expect him to be part of the contenders for the European Golden Boot.
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is another favorite to clinch the European Golden Boot. The French striker scored a total of 27 goals last season. Mbappe is known for his pace and goal-scoring instinct. At PSG last season, he had problems with the board members. Mbappe had a strained relationship with his bosses at PSG. This emanated because of image and commercial disputes. Despite the issues he encountered, he performed excellently at the club.
Kylian’s move to Real Madrid feels like a resurgence for him. Kylian would be looking to perform well at his new club. Kylian boasts of amazing teammates at Real Madrid. He is surrounded by talented teammates. Real Madrid forwards Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr and Bellingham created a total of 27 assists. With a potent striker like Mbappe in attack, he would surely be a contender for the European Golden Boot.
Lautaro Martinez
The Argentine striker is another contender for the European Golden Boot. He had an impressive Copa America in July 2024. Lautaro won the top scorers award at the Copa Lautaro Martinez was also the top scorer of the Italian Serie A. He also managed to score 24 goals last season for the Italian giants across all competitions.
Lautaro Martinez’s impressive season at Inter Milan made him the favorite to clinch the award. He is an interesting partner upfront in Inter Milan. Inter Milan has been building their squad to compete for all trophies this season. Recall, in the 2022/23 season, they were in the final of the Champions League. This season, they would be competing for all the trophies in Europe. This is an additional reason Lautaro may increase his goal tally this season.
Cole Palmer
‘Ice cold Palmer’ as he is often called is another player to look out for. He was one of the bright stars for Chelsea last season. He contributed to Chelsea’s goal tally last season. Cole Palmer had an impressive debut season for Chelsea in the 2023/24 season. He scored 22 goals for the London club. Cole Palmer also creates goal-scoring chances whenever he can.
Cole Palmer registered his name as a goalscorer in the league in 2024. He competed with Erling Haaland for the top scorer’s award. Although, Palmer plays as a midfielder for Chelsea. As a result of this, he engages in tackling, chance creation and controlling.
Another reason Cole Palmer is a favorite is that he takes set pieces for Chelsea. He takes penalties and free kicks for Chelsea. Converting these chances would increase his goal-scoring chances this season.
Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham took the football world by surprise with his goal tally last season. He was signed to Real Madrid in 2023. Since then, he has been involved in over 30 goals for the club. Jude played an advanced role in Madrid last summer. He played as a number 10 just behind the striker. This made him a prime target for crosses in the box. The 20-year-old had a sterling season with the Madrid side.
The surprising fact about Jude is that he plays as a midfielder. Apart from goal-scoring, he had one of the highest recoveries in the league. He was rewarded with the ‘Best Player Award’ in La Liga last season. Just like last season, Jude would continue playing as a number 10. He might increase his goal tally and become the new European Golden Boot winner.
Conclusion
Many strikers are interested in clinching the European Golden Boot. To win this, they need to perform right from the first game of the season. This would demand consistency on the part of the footballer. Footballers like Messi, Ronaldo, and Suarez have clinched the award multiple times. However, two things were clear in their character: Hard work and Consistency!
