The ongoing 2024-25 season of European football is rife with riveting competition, particularly in the race for the coveted European Golden Shoe. The spotlight is currently on Italy’s Mateo Retegui, who is hot on the heels of Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s star forward. The Argentine-born Italian footballer’s recent performance in Atalanta’s sweeping 4-0 triumph over Juventus has catapulted him to the forefront of the Serie A league with an impressive total of 22 goals, outpacing his closest competitor, Moise Kean, by a substantial margin of seven goals.
In the continental race for the Golden Shoe, which since 1997 has used a weighted system based on UEFA’s Coefficient ranking, Retegui sits snugly in second place. Players in Europe’s top five divisions have their league goals doubled, giving Retegui a total of 44 points. However, Salah, with an astonishing 27 goals, leads the pack with a commanding 54 points.
The competition is fierce, though, with the likes of Harry Kane from Bayern Munich and Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski nipping at Retegui’s heels. Both have managed to score 21 goals each in Bundesliga and LaLiga respectively, granting them a joint third place with a cumulative score of 42 points in the Golden Shoe rankings.
Interestingly, despite matching Salah’s impressive tally of 27 goals, Viktor Gyokeres finds himself in fifth place due to the weighted scoring system. With his division ranked between 6th to 22nd in Europe, his goals are multiplied by 1.5, leaving him with a total of 40.5 points.
The chase for the Golden Shoe is far from over. Retegui has a five-goal deficit to overcome if he hopes to outstrip Salah in the race. With 10 matches left in the 2024-25 Serie A season, Retegui’s task is daunting but achievable. Salah’s Liverpool, on the other hand, has one less match remaining in the Premier League.
The race to the Golden Shoe is a thrilling spectacle that football enthusiasts worldwide eagerly watch. Will Retegui manage to close the gap and usurp Salah’s lead? Or will Salah maintain his dominance to secure the prestigious accolade? With each forthcoming match, the anticipation only intensifies.
