Who is the striker ahead of Mbappe, Haaland in race for European Golden Shoe award?

"Last week saw Kylian Mbappé finally become the proud recipient of the European Golden Shoe award that he actually won months ago by finishing as the top goal scorer of the continent's top divisions in the 2024-25 season. Having officially claimed the award back in May, the France striker was belatedly presented with his trophy before Real Madrid's LaLiga fixture against Valencia last weekend. Mbappé scored 31 league goals last campaign to ensure that he added his name to a star-studded list of previous European Golden Shoe winners."

"However, for all the heavyweights to have hoisted the Golden Shoe in the past, the chase for the 2025-26 award is not being led by Erling Haaland or Mbappé, but by a comparatively obscure striker by the name of Darko Lemajic, who plays in Latvia with Rigas Futbola Skola (RFS) and is narrowly ahead of his rivals in the race."

"A whole host of other elite goal scorers have also won the Golden Shoe since its inception in 1967-68, with Eusébio taking the inaugural prize before the likes of Gerd Müller, Marco van Basten, Hristo Stoichkov, Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane, who won the award in 2023-24. The 32-year-old is currently leading the pursuit for the 2025-26 European Golden Boot this season, having scored 28 goals already."

Kylian Mbappé was belatedly presented with the European Golden Shoe after finishing as the 2024-25 top scorer with 31 league goals. He became only the third Real Madrid player to win the award, joining Hugo Sánchez and Cristiano Ronaldo. Elite scorers including Eusébio, Gerd Müller, Marco van Basten, Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane have previously won the prize. For the 2025-26 race, Darko Lemajic, a 32-year-old striker for Rigas Futbola Skola in Latvia, currently leads with 28 goals amid the Virsliga's March-to-November schedule.

Read at ESPN.com