Who is the player with the most top scorer awards in football history?

Who is the player with the most top scorer awards in football history?

Babu Tendu
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:13 PM

During a regular football season, every football striker aims to score as much as possible. Every forward’s dream is to become the league’s top striker, let alone the continent's top forward. In Europe's elite leagues, there are many prolific strikers. The player with the most top scorer awards is an elite-level player desired by many clubs.

Player with the most top scorer awards
Get to know the player who has won the most important golden boot many times. Photos by Carlos Rodrigues and Michael Regan. (Modified by author).
Source: Getty Images

The likes of Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo come into mind whenever one thinks about prolific forwards. These are some players that grace the list of the most elite forwards in Europe.

Who is the player with the most individual awards?

According to several publications, many footballers have won the golden boot in their respective leagues. Sportsbrief will discuss the ten best of them while describing their achievement.

10. Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski has already accomplished great things in his career and is now focused on winning championships with FC Barcelona. With Bayern, Lewandowski has won the Bundesliga eight times and the UEFA Champions League once.

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The Golden Boot has been won by Robert Lewandowski twice (2020–21) and (2021-2022). In addition, Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller's record for the most Bundesliga goals scored in a calendar year in the 2020–21 campaign (40).

Lewandowski scored 41 goals to win the European Golden Boot. The Polish forward went on to win it the following season and score 35. He is one of the players with the most golden boot awards.

9. Luis Suarez

During the peak Messi-Ronaldo era, Luis Suarez accomplished the unthinkable by winning not one but two golden boots. Between the 2007–08 and 2018–19 seasons, Messi and Ronaldo collectively won 10 golden boots. However, even this accomplishment says a lot about Suarez.

Most Premier League top scorer awards
Luis Suarez of Uruguay during the international friendly match between Uruguay and Canada at Tehelne pole on September 27, 2022, in Bratislava, Slovakia. Photo by Sebastian Frej.
Source: Getty Images

While playing for a subpar Liverpool team, Suarez also won the golden boot in 2013–14. Cristiano Ronaldo and Suarez jointly won the 2013–14 Golden Boot after both players combined for 31 in their respective leagues. He is among the most top scorers in football history.

8. Ally McCoist (2)

The Scottish striker is the club's all-time leading scorer and a Rangers legend. Although McCoist is little known outside Scotland, he is a legend. Ally has also won the European Golden Boot twice in a row and was a proficient penalty shooter.

Most Champions League top scorer awards
Rangers player Ally McCoist celebrates after Rangers had beaten St Mirren 4-0 to claim the 1991/92 Scottish Premier Divison at Ibrox on April 18, 1992, in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo by Ben Radford.
Source: Getty Images

For Rangers, Ally scored 355 in 581 games. With Rangers, he won many championships, including nine Scottish League Cups and eight league championships. Ally excelled for Scotland at the international level as well. He played in the 1990 World Cup Finals and amassed 19 goals in 61 appearances. Additionally, Ally participated in the European Championship Finals in 1992 and 1996.

7. Thierry Henry (2)

Although Thierry Henry is arguably the best all-around striker in the Premier League, Aguero and Kane have advantages. The Frenchman was an expert dribbler, an accurate passer, and a prolific scorer. Henry scored 25 in 2005, sharing the Golden Boot with Diego Forlan.

Most golden boot awards
Thierry Henry of Arsenal celebrates scoring during the FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on January 9, 2012, in London, England. Photo by Clive Mason.
Source: Getty Images

Additionally, Henry has won the Premier League Golden Boot four times. He is the only player to have three consecutive PL Golden Boot victories. He is regarded as the best striker in the Premier League and has won the European Golden Boot twice. In addition, he has the most Premier League top scorer awards.

6. Mario Jardel (2)

One of the underappreciated and possibly undiscovered talented Brazilians in football is Jardel. With Porto in 1999, the Brazilian scored 36 goals en route to winning the European Golden Boot. Then, in 2002, he did the same thing while Sporting scored 42 goals.

Most top scorers in football history
Galatasaray's Mario Jardel, who scored twice for his team, celebrates after his team won 2-1 the SuperCup final against Real Madrid in Monaco on 25 August 2000. Photo by VANINA LUCCHESI.
Source: Getty Images

Mario Jardel endured great pain due to his personal struggles and the football industry. The Brazilian's marriage ended at the same time he was left off Brazil's World Cup roster. Due to a botched transfer, Mario could also not join the Spanish League. Yet, he is one of the top goal-scorers of all time.

5. Gerd Muller (2)

In the 1970s, Gerd was the Robert Lewandowski of his generation. The comparison is somewhat demeaning, but Gerd Muller is just as much of a legend as Lewandowski. Gerd has received a lot of honours.

Who is the player with the most individual awards
1974 World Cup Finals, West Germany's Gerd Muller pictured in the Olympic Stadium, Munich, Gerd Muller scored the winning goal in the Final when West Germany beat Holland 2-1. Photo by Popperfoto.
Source: Getty Images

Seven times, he took home the Bundesliga Golden Boot. In 1970, Muller was also the winner of the Ballon d'Or. Gerd scored ten goals during the 1970 World Cup, also earning him the Golden Boot.

Muller is second for goals scored in the Bundesliga during a calendar year (40). In his more than 600 appearances with Bayern Munich, he has totalled 566 goals. In addition, he has twice taken home the European Golden Boot.

4. Diego Forlan (2)

Diego Forlan is one of the best, the two-time winner of the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe. He is a former forward who currently manages Uruguayan football.

Top goal scorers of all time
Diego Forlan celebrates scoring during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa match between Uruguay and the Netherlands on July 6, 2010, in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by Ryan Pierse.
Source: Getty Images

Diego Forlan played in prestigious clubs throughout his career, including Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, and others. The football player is a remarkable athlete with a distinct playstyle and tactic.

3. Eusebio (2)

He is possibly the most illustrious player from Portugal after Cristiano Ronaldo. However, even after Ronaldo's rise to prominence on the international stage, Eusebio was and is conceivably still regarded as the greatest Portuguese player. He finished his career with 623 goals overall.

Highest goal scorer in International football
Footballer Eusebio Ferreira da Silva of Portugal's Benfica on January 01, 1965. Photo by Keystone.
Source: Getty Images

The Portuguese scored the most goals at the 1966 World Cup with nine goals. In 1965, he also took home the Ballon d'Or. Eusebio finished second in 1962 and 1966 as well. Eusebio was the first player to win the European Golden Boot, which was first awarded in 1968. He triumphed once more in 1973.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo (4)

Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest Portuguese player of all time and possibly the greatest player in history. Ronaldo has the most individual honours and titles, ahead of Lionel Messi and Pele. In addition, Ronaldo led his team (Real Madrid and Manchester United) in goals for sixteen seasons in a row.

Ronaldo has taken home the European Golden Boot award four times in his career. In the 2013–14 campaign, he and Luis Suarez split it after scoring 31 goals. Ronaldo scored 48 goals for Real Madrid after the 2013–14 campaign, winning the Golden Boot for the fourth time. In addition, he has the most Champions League top scorer awards.

1. Lionel Messi (6)

Only Lionel Messi, who has won it six times while playing for Barcelona, has done so. With 50 goals scored in 2011–12, he also holds the record for most goals in a single season. This resulted in a record 100 points. He is arguably the highest goal-scorer in International football history.

The player with the most top scorer awards is a football player who has consistently shown his prowess in front of goal season in and season out. A player like Lionel Messi is considered an example of this kind.

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