The race for the European Golden Shoe is well and truly hotting up, and there’s more than few surprises in the top 30.
All of the last eight European Golden Shoes have been won by the same three players, and there’s no prizes for guessing who – Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez. It doesn’t appear as though there’s going to be any change this year.
Eurotopfoot have compiled the top 30 players in contention to win the award this year. Topping the rankings is Messi, who has bagged 27 goals and accumulated 54 points – but he is not alone on that figure. Sporting forward Bas Dost, formerly of Wolfsburg, has scored the same amount this campaign and is neck and neck with arguably the greatest footballer of all time.
Robert Lewandowski is in third on 52 points, level with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Torino talisman Andrea Belotti and former Man City man Edin Dzeko level on 50 points in fifth place.
The Premier League representatives in the top 30 are as followed: Romelu Lukaku 7th, Harry Kane 13th, Alexis Sanchez 17th, Diego Costa 19th, Zlatan Ibrahimovic 20th, Dele Alli 23rd, Sergio Aguero 25th.
As if Dost being level with Messi wasn’t bizarre enough for you, listen to this. In 26th place is Liverpool flop Iago Aspas, who has scored 15 La Liga goals this season. He managed just one goal in 15 appearances for the Reds. Narrowly behind Aspas in 27th is former Plymouth, Wrexham, Oldham and Rotherham striker Matt Derbyshire, who has scored 21 goals this term, accumulating 31.5 points.
It’s a funny old game.