With Europe’s top leagues wrapping up their seasons, Kylian Mbappe has officially clinched his first European Golden Boot, finishing with 31 goals in La Liga during his debut campaign with Real Madrid. As the French star adds another accolade to his growing résumé, fans are drawing comparisons to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, wondering how old the legends were when they claimed their first Golden Boots.
Mbappe secured the top with a brace against Real Sociedad on the final weekend of the season, edging past Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres in the standings. Still, he had to wait for the results from other major leagues before celebrating. Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski were the only players with a mathematical chance to catch him, but neither managed to pull it off.
Salah netted once for Liverpool in their season finale against Crystal Palace, bringing his total to 29 goals and 58 points—good enough for third place. Lewandowski, meanwhile, scored a brace for Barcelona against Athletic Club, finishing with 27 goals and 54 points, just off the podium.
In his first La Liga campaign, Mbappe made an immediate impact, matching milestones once set by Messi and Ronaldo. While Real Madrid came up short in the hunt for major team trophies, Mbappe’s individual brilliance earned him both the Pichichi—awarded to La Liga’s top scorer—and the Golden Boot at age 26.
Messi, Ronaldo, and their first Golden Boots
Cristiano Ronaldo was the first of the two global icons to win the Golden Boot. He accomplished the feat in the 2007–08 season, scoring 31 Premier League goals for Manchester United at age 23—two years before his move to Real Madrid.
see also
Fede Valverde injured: Real Madrid could lose another player ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup
Lionel Messi claimed his first Golden Boot in the 2009–10 season, also at age 23, just a few months earlier than Ronaldo, since his birthday’s in June. The Argentine scored 34 goals in La Liga for Barcelona, part of an incredible 47-goal season across all competitions. That year kicked off an era of Golden Boot dominance between Messi and Ronaldo, only briefly interrupted by Luis Suárez.
Despite years of top-tier performances, Mbappe had never won the award—until now. He came close in 2021–22 with 28 goals (56 points) for Paris Saint-Germain, finishing behind Lewandowski’s 35 goals (70 points) for Bayern Munich.
In 2022–23, Mbappé landed third again with 29 goals, trailing Erling Haaland (36) and Harry Kane (30). This season may have fallen short in terms of team success with Real Madrid, but Mbappe finally claims the individual crown he’s chased for years—the European Golden Boot.
