European Golden Shoe - earthquake from Portugal

Gyokeres is on the verge of making history by winning the European Golden Shoe.

In football, sometimes the best stories don’t come from the richest teams or the most glamorous leagues. Sometimes, they come from unexpected places. Viktor Gyokeres’ story is a perfect example.

When the 2024/25 season kicked off, few would have bet against the Swede taking Europe by storm. To many, Gyokeres was an unknown name, a striker who had moved from the English First Division (Coventry City) to Sporting Lisbon for a modest fee. But football is full of surprises, and Gyökeres has turned himself into the biggest surprise of the season.

39 goals in 34 matches in the Portuguese National Championship in the 2024/25 season. Those numbers not only helped Sporting Lisbon win the championship but also put Gyokeres ahead of the prestigious Golden Boot race - a title that was previously considered the playground of Messi, Ronaldo, Lewandowski or Haaland.

What is remarkable is that Gyokeres has achieved this in a league that is often underrated compared to Europe's 'Big Five'. Portugal, despite producing a wealth of talent, is often ranked behind England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France in terms of league strength, which makes the Swedish striker's achievement all the more impressive.

Gyokeres had an explosive season with Sporting Lisbon.

However, the race is not over yet. Gyokeres now has to wait and watch the performances of two formidable opponents: Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah - two superstars playing in two of Europe's top leagues.

Mbappe, with 28 goals in La Liga, still has two games left for Real Madrid. To overcome Gyokeres, the French striker needs to score at least two more goals - a challenge that is not too difficult for his talent. Especially when Real Madrid have run out of targets, Mbappe can be free to express himself without having to worry about the pressure of results.

In the Premier League, Mohamed Salah also has 28 goals and two games left to compete. The Egyptian star had an excellent season, winning the Premier League with Liverpool. With two games against Brighton and Crystal Palace, Salah has the opportunity to score more goals, especially when he always has strong personal motivation.

In contrast, Harry Kane - the striker playing his first season at Bayern Munich - ended the Bundesliga season with 26 goals, not enough to compete for the title. Lewandowski, with 25 goals in La Liga with Barcelona, also almost lost hope as he needed a miracle to score 5 goals in the last 2 matches.

Gyokeres could move to another major league this summer.

The European Golden Shoe has long been a symbol of individual excellence in football. It not only celebrates the most formidable striker but also measures league dominance. Over the past decade, the award has almost entirely gone to stars from La Liga and the Premier League. The last time a player from a “smaller” league won the Golden Shoe was PSV Eindhoven’s Eran Zahavi in 2020.

If Gyokeres wins in the end, it will send a strong message: talent can shine anywhere. It also reflects the more balanced development of European football, as the gap between the major and mid-level leagues is gradually narrowing.

With Gyokeres’ future a hot topic in the transfer market, the Golden Boot would be the perfect calling card if he decides to try his hand at a bigger league next season, with top clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all interested in the striker.

As the final rounds of the European season are about to take place, the eyes of fans are not only on the race for the championship or the European Cup, but also on every goal of Mbappe and Salah. Because behind those goals is the story of a Swedish striker, who is on the verge of making history and affirming that: there are moments in football, when talent overcomes all limits to shine.

Source: https://znews.vn/chiec-giay-vang-chau-au-con-dia-chan-tu-bo-dao-nha-post1553838.html