The competition for the "European Golden Shoe," symbolizing the top scorer in Europe, is intensifying.
On the 29th (Korean time), British outlet TalkSport reported that Viktor Gyökeres (27, Sporting CP) is on the verge of winning the European Golden Shoe as the first player outside the top five European leagues since the 2001-2002 season.
Gyökeres, hailing from Sweden, is Sporting's forward. He scored four goals in the match against Boavista in the 31st round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga on the 28th, leading Sporting to a 5-0 victory.
With this goal, Gyökeres has scored 38 goals (7 assists) in 30 league matches this season. In total, across all competitions, he has scored 52 goals (12 assists) in 48 matches.
In particular, Gyökeres recorded his seventh hat trick of the season, surpassing Mohamed Salah (33, Liverpool) in the "European Golden Shoe" competition. Salah has scored 28 goals in 34 league matches this season.
The "European Golden Shoe" awards points based on goal-scoring methods, giving 2 points for goals by players in the top five European leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1) and 1.5 points for goals from other leagues.
As a result of this calculation, Salah has 56 points, while Gyökeres has 57 points. Gyökeres is ahead of Salah by 1 point in the "European Golden Shoe" point calculation.
If Gyökeres wins the "European Golden Shoe," he will create new history after 23 years. He would be the first player outside the top five leagues to be recognized as a winner since his senior teammate Mário Jardel (52, Brazil), who scored 42 goals in the 2001-2002 season.
Nevertheless, Salah has more favorable conditions. Salah has four matches remaining, while Gyökeres has three. Moreover, Salah is already confirmed to win the league title, allowing him to focus solely on the scoring competition. Additionally, the point calculation method is more favorable to Salah than it is to Gyökeres.
However, Gyökeres, known for his explosive scoring, is expected to engage in a fierce battle with Salah until the end. He is likely to surpass not only Jardel's achievement but also break Jardel's goal record.
Should Gyökeres secure the "European Golden Shoe," his market value is expected to rise even further. He joined Sporting in the summer of 2023 from Coventry City in the English Championship for £16 million.
Gyökeres has shown explosive attacking power while wearing the Sporting uniform, scoring 95 goals and providing 27 assists in 98 matches. Observing his performance, top clubs are likely to jump into the race to acquire Gyökeres this summer.
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