European Golden Boot: 5 Favourites for the Award, Including Haaland and Lewandowski

The race for the European Golden Boot is heating up, with the 2023/24 football season set to kick off across Europe.

With the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1, and Italian Serie A starting this August, strikers across Europe are gearing up for another super-charged season.

Last season, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scooped the prestigious individual award, which is meant for the top scorer in all European leagues following his brilliant first season with the Cityzens.

According to Sportskeeda, the Norwegian marksman broke the record for most goals scored in a single Premier League season after netting 36 goals for Manchester City.

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Haaland is also among the top contenders for the 2023/24 award, but the Man City forward will face stiff competition from Europe’s top forwards this time, including Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski.

Here, Sports Brief looks at the top five favourites to emerge as the 2023/24 European Golden Boot winner.

5. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)

If Kylian Mbappe plays for Paris Saint-Germain this season, he will likely be a prominent contender for the European Golden Boot.

The 24-year-old forward is currently relegated to the Parisian B-team and will mostly not feature for the team this season if he remains adamant about not extending his deal with the Ligue 1 champions.

PSG want Mbappe to either sign a new deal or leave the club this summer, as he has entered the final year of his current contract.

Mbappe finished as Ligue 1's top scorer last season with 28 goals, but the Frenchman’s future is currently shrouded in uncertainty, with a move to Real Madrid said to be pending.

4. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)

With 34 league appearances for the Catalans and 23 goals and seven assists, Robert Lewandowski was a prominent performer for Barcelona in the 2022–23 campaign.

The Polish forward scooped La Liga’s Pichichi award in his first season in Spain, beating Real Madrid and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, Karim Benzema to the coveted prize last season.

Lewandowski is almost certain to have yet another rewarding campaign on the goalscoring front this time, and the Barcelona forward is one of the favourites to win the 2023/24 Golden Boot.

3. Victor Osimhen (Napoli)

Victor Osimhen's spectacular goal-scoring performance last season was essential in Napoli's Serie A victory.

The Partenopei, who now adore him, will be rooting for the Nigerian striker to repeat his exploits from last season in the upcoming season.

Osimhen poses a serious threat to any defence because of his lightning-quick speed, fluid movement, and excellent eye for goal.

In 32 Serie A games in 2022–23, he scored 26 goals and will be one of the top contenders for the European Golden Boot this term if he avoids injuries.

2. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Despite Spurs enduring a disappointing 2022-23 season, Harry Kane delivered emphatically in the goalscoring department.

The 30-year-old scored 30 goals and provided three assists in 38 appearances in all competitions last term and will be hoping to surpass that target in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich reached an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur to sign Kane as a proposal from the Bundesliga side, believed to be worth more than €100mil, was accepted by their Premier League counterparts on Wednesday.

Kane has been one of the most consistent and lethal finishers of the modern era and is certainly a top contender in the race for the European Golden Shoe this year.

1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

In his first season in the Premier League, Erling Haaland scored 36 goals, earning the Manchester City forward the European Golden Shoe award for 2022–23.

The Norwegian forward recorded four hat tricks and wreaked havoc for the Cityzens last season, dominating the English Premier League.

Haaland poses a threat to every defence on the planet because of his deadly finishing, clever mobility, and warrior attitude, and the 23-year-old could raise his game now that he is entering his second season.

Records Erling Haaland can break

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that in less than 72 hours, Erling Haaland will be back for the start of his second season in the English Premier League when he leads Manchester City's squad to play Arsenal in the Community Shield.

Haaland surpassed expectations in his debut season in England despite a lacklustre start to the season when they faced Liverpool in the same cup.

He went on to silence the doubters, hitting goal after goal as a number of records fell along the way. He finished the season with 52 goals in all competitions, which helped Pep Guardiola's side to the treble.