Last season, Erling Haaland claimed the European Golden Shoe in such a convincing manner that he had almost no competitors. However, this season, the Norwegian striker is being left behind.
The last time Erling Haaland played was in the 0-1 defeat against Aston Villa on December 6. Since then, the Norwegian striker has been injured and out for a long period. Haaland’s goal-scoring record remains at 14 goals. In the two matches against Tottenham and Aston Villa, Haaland also drew a blank.
That’s why Haaland is lagging far behind in the race for the European Golden Shoe 2023/24. At the moment, the leader is Harry Kane. The main striker for Bayern Munich has scored 21 goals in the Bundesliga. However, a significant issue for Kane is that the Bundesliga only has 34 matchdays. If he doesn’t quickly increase his goal tally, competitors may surpass Kane in the final stages of the season.
Kylian Mbappe is Harry Kane’s biggest rival in the race for the European Golden Shoe this season. In Ligue 1, Mbappe is also in top form with 18 goals for PSG. Last season, Mbappe scored 29 goals in Ligue 1. It is predicted that this season, the 24-year-old French striker could achieve an even better performance if he finishes the season with Paris Saint-Germain.
But surprisingly, second on the rankings is an unfamiliar name, Akor Adams. The 23-year-old striker has scored 15 goals for Lillestrom in the Norwegian top flight. Later last summer, Adams joined Montpellier and scored 7 goals. On the rankings, Adams has 36.5 points, surpassing Mbappe by 0.5 points.
In fourth place is Amahl Pellegrino. However, this striker has stopped at 24 goals and 36 points, as the Norwegian top-flight league has concluded, leaving Pellegrino no chance to increase his performance.
It’s unfortunate for the reigning Golden Shoe holder Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker is lagging far behind in this race. With 14 goals, Haaland currently ranks 7th with 28 points. Ahead of Haaland are Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart) with 17 goals and 34 points, and Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) with 15 goals and 30 points.
Last season, with a record of 36 goals in the Premier League, Haaland not only won the Golden Boot for the tournament but also secured the European Golden Shoe. Without a breakthrough in the latter half of the season, it’s challenging for Haaland to defend this title.
Current European Golden Shoe rankings
