The European Golden Shoe is given to Europe’s ultimate goalscorer. At the end of the 2024/25 campaign, Kylian Mbappe won the award after a terrific season at Real Madrid, scoring 31 goals in just 34 La Liga games.
The last person to win the European Golden Shoe whilst playing outside the top five leagues – which are currently England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France – was Mario Jardel, plying his trade for Porto during the 2001/02 season. This means that the best players in the world have typically won the award, and some of the game’s best strikers right now, like Erling Haaland and Harry Kane are in contention. That’s not to mention the fact Mbappe is looking to retain the award either.
Now that the 2025/2026 season is well underway, the fight for the European Golden Shoe is getting interesting, so find out below who are the current favourites to win it.
How is The European Golden Shoe Award Calculated
To win the European Golden Shoe, it’s not simply a case of scoring the most goals in your respective league. Instead, UEFA has devised a system that takes into account the difficulty of the nation that you’re playing in and how competitive it is. As a result, there are three tiers of multipliers:
Goals scored in the top five leagues according to UEFA’s coefficient lists are multiplied by two
Goals scored in the leagues ranked six to 22 are multiplied by 1.5
Goals scored in leagues ranked 22 and below are multiplied by 1
It all means that those players who perform well in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 have their goals count for double that of a player who is involved in a league ranked 22 or lower.
10 Pall Klettskard
KI Klaksvik
Now in his third spell at one of Faroe Island’s most successful clubs, KI Klaksvik, striker Pall Klettskard is enjoying a remarkable campaign at the age of 35. He has scored 21 goals in just 23 games in the league alone, firing KI to the top of the table and keeping them unbeaten. Klettskard’s 2025 league campaign started way back in March, and he has simply gone from strength to strength since then despite his age.
He scored a superb hat-trick in the 10-0 demolition job of TB Tvoroyri, and then grabbed another three while wearing the armband in KI’s dominant 6-2 victory against EB/Streymur back in mid-September.
9 Erling Haaland
Manchester City
The most in-form striker in the world right now, Erling Haaland has netted in 12 consecutive games for club and country, making it one of the longest goal-scoring streaks in football history. The Norwegian has been in exceptional form for Manchester City in particular, and seems to be running away with the Premier League’s Golden Boot award this season.
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As well as netting a brace against neighbours Manchester United, Haaland showed all his strength and pace when he scored against Arsenal in a titanic clash at the top of the table. Given that the Premier League is among UEFA’s top five leagues, and goals are worth double, Haaland will surely climb up these rankings sooner rather than later.
8 Ibrahim Diabate
GAIS
Formerly at Mallorca, Ibrahim Diabate is finally enjoying the best time of his footballing career thus far. The 25-year-old joined Swedish club GAIS in the 2025 January transfer window, and has been in imperious form in the club’s Allsvenskan campaign. 15 goals and four assists in just 26 league games have fired GAIS into the top three, while he enjoyed a really fruitful spell between May and July.
In just nine games during that time, Diabate scored 11 goals, including netting a hat-trick against Halmstads, and scoring twice against Hammarby, who currently occupy second place. But with games running now out, the chances of Diabate making his way up the ranking appears a bit more slim.
7 August Priske
Djurgardens
The son of former Portsmouth defender and Denmark international, Brian Priske, August is showcasing all of his potential while at Swedish club Djurgardens. The centre-forward signed for the club in the summer of 2024, agreeing a four-year deal, but it has been in this 2025 campaign where he has really put down a marker.
The Denmark U20 international has bagged 15 goals in 24 league games, and since the end of August, has firmly established himself as a trusted starter for Djurgardens. The 21-year-old has been on fire recently too, netting eight goals in just seven top-flight fixtures, including grabbing a hat-trick against Sirius in a thumping 8-2 win.
6 Nahir Besara
Hammarby
Another star of the Swedish top-flight this season, Nahir Besara has fired Hammarby to second-place in the league. His 16 goals in 27 games have come despite him playing as an attacking midfielder rather than as a number nine like many of the other players on this list.
The Hammarby captain has long been one of the club’s main attacking threats, and has proven his credentials as a goal-scorer for a while now, scoring 71 goals in just total 216 games for the Swedish outfit.
While he only has one international cap to his name, Besara will be desperately hoping to make the Sweden squad once again given his excellent form this season.
5 Daniel Karlsbakk
Sarpsborg
Standing at 6 foot 5 and an alumni of Norwegian club Bryne’s youth academy, the comparisons between Daniel Karlsbakk and Erling Haaland are understandable, and something the former has even spoken about himself previously. Now playing for Sarpsborg in Norway’s top-flight, the 22-year-old is finally becoming the kind of battering ram striker that Haaland would be proud of himself.
A return of 16 goals in just 24 league games have attributed to almost half of Sarpsborg’s total goals, and despite the club’s middling campaign, has been one of their bright sparks. A hat-trick against Haugesund was his best moment in a Sarpsborg shirt, and he will be hoping to add to his tally before the season is over.
4 Harry Kane
Bayern Munich
Out of everyone in the race for the Golden Shoe, Harry Kane leads the way in terms of playing in a top five European league, shining for Bayern Munich in this 2025/2026 season. The England international has been firing on all cylinders for the Bundesliga giants, scoring a remarkable 12 goals in just seven top-flight fixtures.
Opta Analyst’s supercomputer has predicted how the Champions League table will look at the end of the competition’s league stage.
Kane’s exploits have seen him bag two Bundesliga hat-tricks already, doing so against RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim respectively, while he also netted in the 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund. Such was Kane’s performance in that game against Bayern’s rivals, that many observers considered it one of his best ever displays.
3 Darko Lemajic
FC RFS
Currently in third place for the European Golden Shoe, Darko Lemajic has enjoyed a superb campaign at Latvian club FC RFS. The 6 foot 6 centre-forward is an aerial threat, unsurprisingly, and has been in blistering form in the league, helping himself to a whopping 25 goals in just 28 games.
Lemajic’s season has also included two hat-tricks, and his goals have been a major reason as to why RFS find themselves comfortably in second-place in the Latvian top-flight. The striker’s chances of winning the Golden Shoe, however, probably take a hit given that the league he is playing in is ranked outside UEFA’s top 22.
2 Kasper Hogh
Bodo/Glimt
The striking superstar of Bodo/Glimt, Kasper Hogh has come into his own at the club since joining from Stabaek on a pre-contract deal. His performances in the 2024 season in the Norwegian top-division saw him net 12 times in just 23 league games, but he has arguably stepped it up even further this campaign.
The former Denmark U19 international has fired in 17 goals in 23 top-flight matches thus far, with Bodo neck-and-neck with Viking in the race for the title. Another league triumph would make it a hat-trick for the club, and you would suspect Hogh’s goals before the end of the season will play a major role in deciding whether that will be the case or not.
1 Klaemint Olsen
NSI Runavik
The man leading the race for the European Golden Shoe, is Klaemint Olsen, who is a certified legend in Faroese football. Having spent his entire playing career at hometown club NSI Runavik, the 35-year-old striker has bagged well over 250 goals for the club in over 400 appearances. But arguably his best campaign, has come this season.
In just 26 league games, Olsen has scored 26 times, thus averaging a goal a game. The centre-forward, who is also the club’s captain, has reserved some special performances over the past couple of months in particular, netting 12 goals in 12 games, including a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over EB/Streymur. Much like Darko Lemajic however, Olsen’s goals don’t get any coefficient multiplier given that the Faroe Islands’ main domestic league is ranked outside UEFA’s top 22.
LeBron James made the surprising decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers and an NBA expert has delved into his thinking behind it.
The 41-year-old signed a reported two-year contract worth $8 million with the 76ers after ending eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was believed to have had the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat all looking to sign him.
James claimed that he is looking to help make the 76ers “a championship team” and that he is excited to start “this incredible journey one last time.” While the highest points scorer in the history of the league suggested that his focus is on championships, an NBA analyst says otherwise.
NBA Expert Questions LeBron James ‘Lifetime Deal’
LeBron James via REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
After winning the NBA title with the Cavaliers, Miami Heat and the Lakers, he’ll be bidding to continue that record with the 76ers. But it’s his ventures off the court that Kendrick Perkins reckons have led to him joining the Sixers.
Perkins appeared on NBA Today and pointed out his and Rich Paul’s relationship with Josh Harris. He said: “This is not a two-year deal that LeBron James signed. This is a lifetime deal that LeBron James signed. Everything that LeBron James and Rich Paul do is strategically planned out for the future, right? And so I’ve got to thinking about their relationship with Josh Harris.”
James’ longtime friend and agent Paul holds a strong working relationship with Harris and the Sixers’ other owner David Blitzer. And it’s the NBA icon’s own aspirations to own a team which Perkins thinks proved decisive:
“I’ve got to thinking about all of the teams that Josh Harris owns, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Washington Commanders, right? . . . LeBron James after basketball wants to be an owner. LeBron James loves the business side of it. How do you get in the business? You start by developing a relationship right now. So yes, he does want to compete for a championship, but this is bigger than just this two-year, $8 million deal.”
James is coming into the latter stages of his career and his aim is to help head coach Nick Nurse compete in the Eastern Conference. He joins an exciting roster including Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
‘Win Another Championship’ – LeBron James on 76ers Move
Jayne Kamin-Oncea via Imagn Images
James insisted after announcing his decision that money played no part, nor did his family. He believes the 76ers have the foundations to become a championship team.
The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player wrote on X: “This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind.
He added: “I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energise a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”
There had been confusion last week when Miami mistakenly posted a link to an ‘introductory press conference’ for James. A spokesperson explained that this was posted in error and had been prepared should James have returned to the Heat.
Instead, he is now preparing to represent the fourth team of his NBA career in a swansong before potentially venturing into ownership. But his decision has caused quite a stir, with some believing it came with ulterior motives.
Attention now turns to the next World Cup, which will be held in 2030. The tournament will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, while Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina will all also host a match in honour of the 100th anniversary of the first edition in 1930.
Despite the tournament being four years away, we have asked ChatGPT to predict the 48 teams that will qualify for the 24th edition of the World Cup and exactly how it will play out.
Group Stage
REUTERS/Mike Segar
2026 World Cup winners Spain will be one of the favourites to retain their title in 2030, and they are predicted to cruise through their group as winners. AI also thinks England, France, Argentina and Portugal will win their group.
Italy didn’t qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but, not only are they expected to qualify for the 2030 edition, they are expected to cruise through the group stage.
The United States, Mexico, the Netherlands and Morocco are among the teams predicted to qualify for the knockout rounds by virtue of finishing second in their group, while Croatia, Egypt and Australia all scrape through after finishing third.
Among the teams that are predicted to be eliminated from the group stage include China, New Zealand, Ghana, Canada and Iran.
AI Predicts 2030 World Cup – Group Stage
Group Winners
Group Runners-Up
Best Third-Place Teams
Eliminated
Spain
South Africa
Nigeria
China
England
Japan
Croatia
Honduras
Brazil
Denmark
Costa Rica
New Zealand
Portugal
USA
Egypt
Iraq
France
Mexico
South Korea
Uzbekistan
Germany
Uruguay
Australia
Saudi Arabia
Argentina
Switzerland
Algeria
Panama
Italy
Colombia
Ecuador
Ghana
Norway
Netherlands
Qatar
Belgium
Morocco
Venezuela
Serbia
Turkey
Jamaica
Sweden
Paraguay
Bolivia
Cameroon
Canada
Czech Republic
Iran
Last 32
REUTERS/Lee Smith
2026 World Cup co-hosts Mexico and USA both impressed before being knocked out in the last 16. They aren’t expected to go as far in 2030 as they bow out in the first knockout round, losing to Norway and Argentina respectively.
Switzerland made it to the quarter-finals in 2026 before losing to Argentina in the quarter-final. AI thinks they will be beaten by Nigeria in the last 32 in four years’ time. Co-hosts Morocco suffers the same fate after losing 2-1 to Turkey.
Among the teams that cruise through to the last 16 include Spain, England, Portugal and France, who beat Australia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Algeria respectively.
AI Predicts 2030 World Cup – Last 32
Spain 3-1 Australia
Serbia 2-1 South Africa
England 2-0 Ecuador
Sweden 2-1 Japan (AET)
Brazil 3-1 Croatia
Belgium 2-1 Denmark
Portugal 2-0 Costa Rica
Norway 2-1 Mexico
France 2-0 Algeria
Argentina 3-1 USA
Germany 2-0 South Korea
Italy 1-0 Uruguay
Nigeria 2-1 Switzerland
Colombia 2-1 Paraguay
Netherlands 3-0 Egypt
Turkey 2-1 Morocco
Last 16
REUTERS/Paul Childs
Without doubt the biggest tie of the round sees Argentina face France in a repeat of the 2022 final. Argentina, who will most likely be without Lionel Messi in 2030, are beaten 3-1 by Les Bleus.
Like Argentina, Portugal will almost certainly be without their greatest ever player in 2030: Cristiano Ronaldo. They crashed out of the 2026 World Cup at the last 16 stage, and they are predicted to do the same in four years’ time, with a 2-1 defeat to Norway.
Italy and Belgium are also among the sides that exit the competition at the last 16 stage, while Nigeria and Turkey’s dream runs continue with victories over Colombia and the Netherlands respectively.
AI Predicts 2030 World Cup – Last 16
Spain 2-1 Serbia
England 2-1 Sweden
Brazil 2-0 Belgium
Portugal 1-2 Norway
France 3-1 Argentina
Germany 1-0 Italy
Nigeria 2-1 Colombia
Netherlands 1-2 Turkey
Quarter-Finals
Danilo Fernandez / Fotoarena/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
England, should they not emerge triumphant on home soil at Euro 2028, will be on a 64-year major trophy drought when the 2030 World Cup comes around. Their long wait for a trophy is expected to go on as reigning champions Spain beat them 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Brazil are the most successful nation in World Cup history with five titles. They are predicted to avenge their defeat to Norway in 2026 and progress to the semi-finals.
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World Cup History Quiz
You scored
out of 20
Germany recently appointed Jurgen Klopp and, should he remain in his role, could still be in charge in 2030. The four-time world champions are predicted to lose to France after extra-time in their quarter-final clash.
Incredibly, AI is predicting Nigeria and Turkey to play each other in the quarter-finals of the competition. The African side are expected to win the match 1-0 thanks to a goal from Victor Boniface.
AI Predicts 2030 World Cup – Quarter-Finals
Spain 2-1 England
Brazil 3-2 Norway
France 2-1 Germany [AET]
Nigeria 1-0 Turkey
Semi-Finals
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Sam Navarro
In AI’s simulation, co-hosts Spain will face Brazil in the first semi-final, while France and Nigeria will face off in the second semi-final.
Brazil will be looking to become world champions for the first time since 2002 in 2030, but their hopes are dashed when they lose 2-1 to Spain after extra-time. AI is predicting Lamine Yamal to score a 113th minute winner for the remaining champions.
While ChatGPT thinks that Nigeria’s remarkable run will come to an end after pushing France all the way. They take the lead through Boniface but goals from Warren Zaïre-Emery and Desire Doue ensure Les Bleus recover from an early setback and qualify for another World Cup final.
AI Predicts 2030 World Cup – Semi-Finals
Spain 2-1 Brazil [AET]
France 2-1 Nigeria
Third-Place Match and Final
REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
In 2022, Morocco became the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. They were beaten by Croatia in the third-place playoff. ChatGPT thinks Nigeria will suffer the same fate in 2030 as it predicts them to lose 3-1 to Brazil.
AI Predicts 2030 World Cup – Third-Place Match
Brazil 3-1 Nigeria
AI has backed Spain to play France in a repeat of the 2026 World Cup semi-final. Spain got the better of France in 2026 as they won 2-0, and they are predicted to get the better of Les Bleus again.
According to AI, Nico Williams will give Spain an early lead, only for Kylian Mbappe to equalise shortly after half-time. Yamal scores what turns out to be the winner in the 81st minute as he ‘produces another decisive performance on the biggest stage.’
Chelsea are plotting a surprise move to sign a Brighton forward in the summer transfer window.
The Blues have been incredibly active in the summer market, which certainly isn’t out of the ordinary for a club like Chelsea.
The capital club are looking to back new manager Xabi Alonso in the transfer window as they aim to steer themselves back in the right direction after missing out on Europe.
So far in the Summer transfer window, Chelsea have spent significantly, bringing in Morgan Rogers and Marco Palestra.
The Blues also have new additions Geovany Quenda and Emmanuel Emegha join the club, but those deals were finalised previously.
Their business certainly doesn’t appear to be finished there, though, as they continue to look for reinforcements for Alonso.
Chelsea eyeing Brighton man
According to a report from journalist David Ornstein, Chelsea are interested in a surprise move to sign Brighton striker Danny Welbeck.
Chelsea’s recruitment strategy over the last few years has been to bring in young talents from around the world. It would certainly be a surprise to see them sign a 35-year-old Welbeck.
The report from The Athletic does claim that Alonso is looking to add more experience and leadership to his squad, and there is optimism on all sides that a deal can be done.
