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What’s the story?
Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi made history as he beat Kylian Mbappe and others to secure his sixth European Golden Shoe.
The Argentine maestro became the first player to win three consecutive European Golden Shoe awards.
In case you didn’t know..
The Blaugrana captain has netted 50 goals in all competitions so far in the campaign, with 36 of his goals coming in the La Liga. Thanks to his exploits in the Spanish top flight, Messi secured his sixth Pichichi award and he also helped the Catalan giants win their 8th league title in 11 years.
Kylian Mbappe mounted a huge challenge but could not stop Messi from securing his sixth Golden Shoe. The 20-year-old's three-game suspension last month proved vital in the Golden Shoe race as he fell three goals short of Messi. Mbappe has netted 33 goals in Ligue 1 this season and scored a consolation goal as PSG succumbed to a 3-1 defeat against Stade Reims last night.
Sampdoria's Fabio Quagliarella ended third in the scoring charts of Europe's top five leagues after racking up 26 goals in the Serie A this season. There is still a matchday left in the Italian top flight but it is impossible for Quagliarella to score 11 goals in the last game to win the award.
Messi recently claimed that he is not even thinking about the award. He said:
“I am honestly not even thinking about the European Golden Shoe. It’s not in my head at all. What happened at Liverpool is, like I said it was a big blow and I am not thinking about personal things, just getting to this Copa final and winning another trophy.”
The heart of the matter
Messi will become the first ever player to lift the Golden Shoe for a record six times, while Cristiano Ronaldo's tally stands at four. The 31-year-old will also become the only player to win the Golden Shoe three times in a row (2016–17, 2017–18 and 2018-19).
Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Ally McCoist remains the only players to have won the award on two consecutive campaigns.
What's next?
Barcelona will face Valencia in the finals of Copa del Rey and hope to secure the double.
