Know why Lionel Messi won 5th Golden Shoe
Barcelona's Lionel Messi is set to be awarded a fifth Golden Shoe as he finished as the top scorer in European leagues once again. The Argentine amassed 34 goals in La Liga, which was the highest by any player in one's respective leagues. He also won the Pichichi Trophy in Spain for being top scorer in the Primera Division. Here's more about it.
Messi beats challengers to win the award
Messi's 34 goals meant that his score for the European award was a staggering 68. The nearest challengers were Premier League duo of Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane with 64 and 60 points respectively. Serie A duo of Mauro Icardi and Ciro Immobile finished with 29 goals each. Benfica's Jonas finished with 34 strikes too, but Portuguese division's inferior coefficient meant he wasn't reckoned.
Messi was ruthless this season
Barcelona finished as winners of La Liga with a 14-point lead over 2nd placed Atletico Madrid (79). Messi played an important role in Barca's achievement. 34 goals and 12 assists in the season was a tremendous show. He also created a total of 87 chances.
Can Messi win the Ballon d'Or?
Messi finished with 45 goals in 2017-18 season across all club level competitions. He helped Barca to the double. Real's Cristiano Ronaldo has 44 goals and is vying for the Champions League title. Mohamed Salah too has 44 and like CR7 has the chance to win the UCL. Messi could pip them in case they don't live up to the expectations in UCL final.
