Messi to receive Golden Boot

Edgar Fornós

Leo Messi’s 34 league goals last season were enough to win him the award for topping the European club goalscoring charts. He will collect the trophy this afternoon at the Estrella Damm factory in Barcelona.

This is the first time the world’s greatest player has won this accolade. He won by scoring five more times than the players that ended joint second, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Udinese’s Antonio Di Natale, both with 29.

Record breaking campaign
The 2009/10 season was Messi’s fifth as a pro, and in it he produced an extraordinary 34 league goals. He had previously scored 23 in 2008/09, while his first three seasons pale in comparison: 6 (05/06), 14 (06/07) and 10 (07/08).

Yet more prestigious silverware
The Golden Boot is just the latest major honour to be won by Leo Messi. He has already won the FIFA World Player and the Balon d’Or, which is sufficient recognition of his place as the best player in the world – he has won the three most important individual awards in the world. The original trophy will now go on display in the FC Barcelona Museum for the next week.