In May, Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid received the European Golden Boot for scoring 31 goals during his inaugural season in La Liga.
However, the question arises: why did Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP, who scored 39 goals, end up with the trophy coveted by every striker?Mbappe made a free transfer to Los Blancos last summer.
After a sluggish beginning, he became the focal point, rediscovered his scoring form, and concluded the season on a significantly improved note, particularly concerning his goal-scoring record.
Indeed, the French player emerged as the highest goal-scorer in the history of Real Madrid during his debut season, eclipsing a record established by Ivan Zamorano in the 1992/93 season.
This is an accomplishment that even Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to attain upon his arrival in Spain.
However, at first glance, there was a lack of clarity regarding why Gyokeres – who is highly regarded as one of the premier strikers in global football – did not receive the goal-oriented award while Mbappe, aged 26, did.
This was particularly notable given that Gyokeres had netted nine more goals in domestic play.
The Swedish forward, whose future remains in question, showcased his scoring prowess throughout the 2024/25 season, achieving a remarkable total of 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions.
Remarkably, 39 of his goals were scored in the Primeira Liga, where he played a pivotal role in leading his team to a championship victory.
The reason he did not secure the European Golden Boot, regardless of whether fans perceive it as unfair, is due to UEFA’s weighted scoring system.
This system assigns greater importance to goals scored in Spain’s top league compared to those in lower-tier leagues: Mbappe’s 31 goals garnered him 62 coefficient points, while Gyokeres’ impressive total of 39 resulted in a final tally of 58.5 points.
This discrepancy arises because, in Spain, each goal contributes two coefficient points.
In contrast, in Portugal, a goal is valued at only 1.5 points, which left Gyokeres – much to his disappointment – 3.5 points short of the total achieved by the eventual winner.
Indeed, UEFA regulations specify that goals scored by any player in the top five leagues of Europe – namely the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 – are valued at two points, whereas goals in leagues ranked from sixth to 22nd are assigned a value of 1.5 points.
Kylian Mbappe, recognized as one of the greatest young talents in football history, became the first player to secure the European Golden Boot since Thierry Henry, finishing ahead of Gyokeres (58.5), Mohamed Salah (58), Robert Lewandowski (54), and Harry Kane (52).
In a remarkable achievement, the dynamic 26-year-old also made history as the first player in football to win all three prestigious awards: the European Golden Boot, the World Cup Golden Boot, and the Champions League Golden Boot. The possibilities for his future accomplishments are limitless.