Lionel Messi collected a record fifth Golden Shoe award on Tuesday for finishing last season as the top goalscorer in Europe.
The striker scored 34 goals in 68 games for Barcelona, putting him ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award four times, hit 26 goals in 52 matches for Real Madrid.
After being prsented with his latest prize in Barcelona, Messi said: “The truth is I had no idea this would happen when I started. I dreamt of playing professional football and enjoying success, I love the game, but I never imagined I would have so much.
“I enjoy the work, the effort, I’m at the best team in the world and play with the best team-mates in the world, so everything is easier.”
The ceremony was attended by Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, as well as fellow players like Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto.
Messi also discussed Monday’s Champions League draw, which pitted Barca against Lyon in the round of 16.
“Lyon will be a complicated opponent,” Messi said. “Even if they are not known as one of the strongest teams, they are dangerous as they showed against Manchester City, one of the best teams in the world.
“It will be difficult to go through, but the opportunity is there for us. We have several Frenchmen in the team like Samuel Umtiti and Malcom, who played in France, so perhaps they can help as well.”
eo Messi received his fifth Golden Shoe award on Tuesday, recognising his goalscoring exploits from last season. The Argentine, who has won the award more times than anyone else in history, scored 34 goals in 36 games in LaLiga in 2017/18. The event, held at the Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm venue in Barcelona, was attended by club president Josep Maria Bartomeu and directors Silvio Elías and Xavier Vilajoana, as well as Pep Segura, Éric Abidal, Guillermo Amor, Ramon Planes, Jordi Roura, Aureli Altimira and Messi’s teammates Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto.
Five children from the SJD Pediatric Cancer Center in Barcelona, a hospital that has received support from the Leo Messi Foundation and Barça Foundation, placed the Golden Shoes on display at the event, atop a series of letters that spelled out the name ‘MESSI’.
Numbers made of gold
While it is his fifth overall, it’s the third year in a row he is taking home the gilded boot. Here are his LaLiga goal totals for each year he has won it:
2009/10 — 34 goals
2011/12 — 50 goals
2012/13 — 46 goals
2016/17 — 37 goals
2017/18 — 34 goals
Messi’s teammate Luis Suárez won the Golden Shoe twice during that span, in 2013/14 (while with Liverpool) and in 2015/16.
Messi currently leads Europe in scoring once again, with 14 goals, and is quickly moving up the Golden Shoe points ranking.
