Ranking 5 greatest La Liga golden boot winners of the 21st century

La Liga has hosted several prolific Golden Boot winners over the years. During the Spanish top-flight's history, several elite players have competed for the individual honor.

At the turn of the century, La Liga had players like Ronaldo Nazario and Raul, two of the biggest names in football at the time, competing for the top-scorer award.

More recently, the baton was passed on to two of the greatest ever players in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, taking the competition in La Liga to the next level.

Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi has also left La Liga now

However, the star value of La Liga seems to be thinning, with Lionel Messi joining Paris Saint-Germain after a dramatic turn of events at FC Barcelona.

With Messi gone, it will be interesting to see who takes up the mantle to be the face of La Liga this season. Luis Suarez and Karim Benzema look to be prime candidates to compete in the Golden Boot race as they came extremely close last season.

Gerard Moreno is another strong candidate after he finished second behind Lionel Messi with 23 goals last season.

Considering how both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not part of La Liga anymore, players like Antoine Griezmann and Eden Hazard will sense an opportunity to seize the limelight.

For now, focus on ranking the best La Liga Golden Boot winners of the 21st century:

#5 Luis Suarez | FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona v Club Leon - Joan Gamper Trophy

Luis Suarez was the only player to break the duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the La Liga golden boot.

In what was a brilliant individual Golden Boot-winning season in 2015-16, Suarez netted 40 goals in 35 La Liga appearances for Barcelona. The fact that it came in an era where many players were overshadowed by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo made it all the more outstanding.

After Messi picked up an injury that season, Suarez stepped up for Barcelona by netting six goals in five games during the Argentine's absence.

Suarez thrived at Barcelona courtesy of his excellent finishing and technical ability. The Uruguayan's link-up play with Neymar and off-the-ball movement troubled La Liga defenders the entire season.

In addition to winning the Golden Boot with 40 goals that season, Suarez also notched up 18 assists. The striker finished the season with an astonishing return of 59 goals and 24 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.

That was the last season when any player other than Lionel Messi won the La Liga Golden Boot. A season to remember for 'El Pistolero.'

#4 Samuel Eto'o | FC Barcelona

Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao - Copa del Rey Final

After failing to impress at Real Madrid, a move to Mallorca changed Samuel Eto'o's fortunes. He scored 67 goals for Mallorca across four years and the world took notice of his goal-scoring abilities.

The Cameroonian finally enjoyed his breakthrough when he secured a big move to FC Barcelona, which put him right in the spotlight. Playing with the likes of Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and a young Lionel Messi elevated all aspects of his game.

Eto'o dazzled La Liga by becoming the Golden Boot winner in his first season at Barcelona, scoring 25 goals in the 2004-05 season and sharing the award with Diego Forlan.

The following season was nothing short of spectacular as Eto'o bagged the Golden Boot award for himself by scoring 26 goals.

Eto'o was the standout player in a star studded Barcelona side which won the UEFA Champions League in 2005. This stellar individual season was capped by him coming third in the race for FIFA Player of the year.

#3 Diego Forlan | Vilarreal and Atletico Madrid

Club Atletico de Madrid v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

Atletico Madrid are well known for scouting and creating some of the most world-class strikers in La Liga history. Two-time Golden Boot winner Diego Forlan is right at the very top of that illustrious list.

But Forlan was already an excellent player in the making at Villarreal. After failing to break into the star-studded Manchester United lineup, a switch to Villarreal did wonders for his career. With regular game time under his belt, the Uruguayan became an instant hit, scoring goal after goal from the get-go.

Forlan shared the Pichichi trophy (La Liga top scorer) with Samuel Eto'o in 2005, with both scoring 25 goals apiece. After three successful years with the Yellow Submarine, Forlan made the switch to fellow La Liga side Atletico Madrid.

After a decent start with Los Rojiblancos, the Uruguayan striker erupted in his second season, scoring 32 goals for the side. The same season also saw Forlan win the European Golden Boot award as well. Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi secured more Golden Boot awards than Forlan in the 21st century.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid

Real Madrid v Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Round of 16

After securing a then-record transfer from Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo signed as a megastar in Madrid. His arrival marked the beginning of an epic rivalry with Lionel Messi. The Portuguese set fire to La Liga in his second season, winning the Golden Boot by scoring a huge tally of 40 league goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo went back and forth with Lionel Messi for a number of individual titles, including the La Liga Golden boot, during his time in Spain.

The Real Madrid number seven won a total of three Golden Boot awards, with his next two coming in consecutive seasons from 2013-2015. Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo never scored below 25 goals during his stay in La Liga in any season, with his highest tally coming in at a staggering 48 goals in 2014-15.

The current Juventus star was able to win the La Liga Golden Boot thrice in his career. Cristiano Ronaldo will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest goal-scorers in La Liga history.

#1 Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona

What more can you say about Lionel Messi that hasn't been said already? Like Cristiano Ronaldo, he may not be part of La Liga anymore, but he leaves after an era of domination.

It was no different in the Golden Boot race as Lionel Messi won the individual award in each of the last five consecutive La Liga seasons. His total tally stands at an all-time high of eight Golden Boot awards, with his first coming in 2009-10.

It started a streak of three Golden Boots in four La Liga seasons for Lionel Messi, including a record-breaking 50 league goals in 2011-12.

The iconic rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo pushed Lionel Messi to perform season after season, ultimately bringing out the best in him.

The Argentine ruled the La Liga Golden Boot race for seasons to come, winning the title each year since the 2016-17 season. La Liga's all-time leading goal scorer with a mammoth 474 goals, Lionel Messi, will go down as the greatest ever forward in the competition.

About the author

I’m Lovish Kaushik, your not-so-stereotypical engineering graduate from India. I run my own personal blog at www.thesportsbar.live. The passion and love I have for sports is immeasurable. It was necessary for me to have a platform to JUST WRITE about the things I want to say out loud; something that my Whatsapp sports groups failed to provide.

Having experienced sports as a player and a fan, I love sharing my insights and experiences. From watching NBA games at 5 in the morning to watching UCL Nights at 2 am, it’s hard being a sports fan here in India. But this sheer passion for the game has made me a student of every sport I watch.

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Edited by Nived Zenith