Ranking the 5 favourites for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot (2021-22)

The Ligue 1 has been an attractive destination for some of the world's finest attackers over the years. The division welcomed arguably the greatest goalscorer in history this summer when Lionel Messi arrived from Barcelona.

The Argentine has had a slow start to life in the French top flight, though. But he's guaranteed to light up the division once he fully adapts to his new environment. Considering his scoring pedigree, Messi simply cannot be written off in the race for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot award.

He will likely square off against his partners in crime, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to win the coveted award this season. Apart from the trio, there are other decent finishers in the French top flight who could win this accolade.

On that note, here's a look at five contenders who could win the Ligue 1 Golden Boot award this season:

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#5 Amine Gouiri

The striker is connecting the dots for Nice in the French top flight this term.

OGC Nice are doing quite well in Ligue 1 this season. The Eaglets are currently second in the table with 26 points, thanks to their striker Amine Gouiri's exploits.

The Frenchman has been a huge force to be reckoned with since the campaign kicked off. He has scored consistently to inspire his team's charge for the league title. So far, he has recorded eight goals and four assists in 14 appearances in the division.

The attacker's ability to function as a finisher and a creative box while creating something out of nothing makes him indispensable. If he maintains his form till the end of the season, he could be one of the contenders for this season's Ligue 1 Golden Boot award.

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#4 Jonathan David

The Canadian has been running riot in Ligue 1 since the campaign kicked off.

With ten goals to his name in 14 appearances so far this season, Lille striker Jonathan David is among the most prolific goalscorers in Ligue 1 right now. The Canadian has raised his game to a whole new level this campaign.

David ended last season with 13 goals in Ligue 1. He looks set to beat that tally midway this campaign. That speaks volumes of his improvement in the last few months.

#3 Lionel Messi

There's simply no writing off the greatest finisher the game has ever seen.

Lionel Messi has had a quiet start to his Ligue 1 campaign after ending his 21-year association with Barcelona during the summer. After parting ways with the Blaugrana, the Argentine arrived at Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with whom he signed a two-year contract.

Adapting to a new team, system and environment has proven to be a tough challenge for the attacker. Messi went five games without scoring for PSG in Ligue 1 before he ended that duck with a fabulous finish against Nantes last weekend.

That goal should give him the confidence to score even more, and it's only a matter of time before he lights up the French top flight. With the Argentine playing at the top of his game, he may soon be in the reckoning for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot award this season.

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#2 Neymar

The Brazilian has scored twice in his last three outings in the French top flight.

Like Lionel Messi, Neymar is yet to hit top form with PSG this season. The Brazilian has missed five Ligue 1 games so far due to fitness reasons. It's worth noting that he has played 90 minutes on just five occasions in the French top flight so far.

Nevertheless, the attacker has recorded three goals and as many assists to his name in nine appearances in the division. That includes two goals and an assist in his last three outings, which suggests he may be hitting his top level.

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#1 Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe is no stranger to the Ligue 1 Golden Boot award.

While his attacking partners have endured a slow start to the campaign, Kylian Mbappe has been carrying the goalscoring burden for PSG. In fact, it wouldn't be far-fetched to say the Parisians wouldn't have been atop the table right now without the Frenchman's exploits.

Mbappe is joint-third in the Ligue 1 goalscoring chart this season, scoring seven goals in 13 games. The 22-year-old also has an equal number of assists, serving as both scorer and creator for his team.

The winger is arguably the most likely candidate to win another Ligue 1 Golden Boot award this season. Despite his rather quiet start, Mbappe knows what it takes to claim the award. That's because he has won it in each of his last three seasons. So he'll fancy his chances of doing so this term too.