Monday, 29th October, 2012
Lionel Messi has won his second European Golden Shoe award.
The accolade is handed out to the leading goalscorer in league matches out of the top division of every European national league every season.
The number of goals are multiplied by the strength of the league, from x2 for those strikes netted in leagues which are ranked in the top five in UEFA’s coefficients.
Those leagues ranked from six to 21 are multiplied by x1.5
And Messi’s 50 goals in La Liga in the 2011/12 campaign put him on 100 points, allowing him to claim what is his second Golden Shoe award.
Messi first picked up the accolade in the 2009/10 season, when 34 goals in La Liga was enough to earn him the honour.
relatedNewsStoryLast year the victory went to the Argentine’s fierce rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who found the back of the net 40 times in La Liga for Real Madrid, translating into 80 points.
Prior to that, winners had come from all corners, with victors from the Welsh Premier League, the Georgian top flight and the elite league in Armenia.
The winning of the Golden Shoe will also surely boost Messi’s chances of collecting the 2012 Ballon d’Or.
