The Frenchman won the European Golden Shoe despite scoring fewer goals than Viktor Gyokeres, sparking debate over UEFA’s system.
Few weeks ago, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe was crowned the winner of the 2024/25 European Golden Shoe, despite netting 31 league goals—eight fewer than Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, who scored a remarkable 39 times in the Portuguese top flight.
The announcement sparked confusion and debate among football fans across Europe as per GiveMeSport.
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After all, on paper, Gyokeres outscored every player in the continent’s domestic leagues. However, Mbappe, 26, emerged as the winner thanks to UEFA’s goal-weighted scoring system that favors players in Europe’s top five leagues.
“In fact, the Frenchman became the highest-scoring player in Real Madrid history in a maiden season, surpassing a record set by Ivan Zamorano in 1992/93. It’s a feat that even Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t achieve when he moved to Spain.”
Mbappe; Weight of Goals, Not Just the Count
UEFA’s Golden Shoe system assigns different point values to goals depending on the league in which they are scored.
Goals in the top five leagues—La Liga, Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1—are each worth two points. In contrast, goals in leagues ranked sixth to 22nd, such as Portugal’s Primeira Liga, are worth just 1.5 points apiece.
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As a result, while Mbappe’s 31 La Liga goals earned him 62 coefficient points, Gyokeres’s 39 goals in Portugal added up to just 58.5 points. That 3.5-point difference was enough to tip the award in favor of the French forward, even though he had fewer total goals.
Gyokeres Outscored But Outweighed
Gyokeres’s performances for Sporting CP were nothing short of phenomenal.
The Swedish striker bagged 54 goals in all competitions across 52 appearances and was instrumental in leading his side to a Primeira Liga title.
However, his superior league tally was not enough to bypass the structural limitations of the scoring system.
“Outrageously, 39 of his strikes came in the Primeira Liga as he figureheaded his side’s title win. Why he didn’t get his hands on the European Golden Boot, whether fans believe it's unjust or not, was by virtue of UEFA’s weighted scoring system.”
While fans and pundits alike debated the fairness of this approach, UEFA has long used this method to ensure a level of competitive balance, acknowledging the perceived difficulty of scoring in more challenging leagues.
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Historic Achievement for Mbappe
Mbappe’s achievement goes beyond just numbers. With this triumph, he became the first player ever to win the European Golden Shoe, the World Cup Golden Boot, and the Champions League Golden Boot.
In a debut season for Real Madrid, that’s an exceptional feat for any forward.
“Mbappe, regarded as one of the best teenagers in football history, became the first player to win the European Golden Boot since Thierry Henry as he finished ahead of Gyokeres (58.5), Mohamed Salah (58), Robert Lewandowski (54) and Harry Kane (52).”
Few can deny the brilliance of Gyokeres’s season, but the current structure of the award placed more value on Mbappe’s goals.
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Until or unless the system changes, the Golden Shoe will remain a reflection not only of how many goals are scored—but also where they are scored.