5 players that could beat Lionel Messi to the European Golden Shoe this season

Modified Oct 28, 2018 06:33 GMT

Barcelona playmaker, Lionel Messi won the European Golden Shoe last season

#2. Neymar Junior

Neymar has been unstoppable in front of goal this term

Former Barcelona superstar Neymar Junior departed the Catalan capital to complete a world-record deal to join French champions Paris Saint Germain during the summer of 2017 and it was believed that the attacker took such a bold step in his career in order to step out of Lionel Messi's shadow.

While he failed to mount a serious challenge to Messi's dominance in front of goal throughout last season amidst injury crisis, this campaign presents itself as a decent opportunity for the Brazilian winger to finally get the better of his Argentine counterpart, especially in the race for the European Golden Shoe.

Neymar has been one of the most impressive attackers across Europe's top 5 leagues so far this season, recording an incredible 8 goals and 4 assists to his name in 8 appearances for Paris Saint Germain in the French top flight and he is well on track to beat Messi to the European Golden Shoe during the course of the season.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Sagnik Mallick