Messi receives Golden Shoe as Europe's top scorer in 2016-17

Lionel Messi was awarded the Golden Shoe on Friday for his attacking exploits during the 2016-17 season, the Barcelona star topping the European goal-scoring charts with 37 in the previous campaign.

Messi pipped Sporting CP striker Bas Dost (33 goals), Borussia Dortmund hit man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (30), Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez (28), and Bayern Munich ace Robert Lewandowski (29) for the prize. This is his fourth Golden Shoe, having previously won the award for the 2009-10, 2011-12, and 2012-13 seasons. He succeeds Suarez for this year’s nod.

“I have kept growing off the field and on it. I am improving and adding things to my game, every day I enjoy being a footballer more,” Messi said, per the club’s official Twitter account.

The diminutive Argentine was unable to top his personal best with those 37 goals – Messi previously won the prize with 46 tallies in 2012-13 and 50 in 2011-12, the current record in this category.

Messi and archrival Cristiano Ronaldo now have four Golden Shoe awards each, with the latter’s 48 goals in 2014-15 accounting for his own best-ever tally, and his latest victory.