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

#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.