Lewandowski wins Golden Shoe after dominating Europe's scoring race

Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski cruised to the European Golden Shoe after a record-breaking season in the Bundesliga.

The Polish marksman fired 41 goals in Germany’s top flight, surpassing Gerd Muller’s record of 40 strikes in a single Bundesliga campaign, which stood since 1972. The next top scorer hailing from one of Europe’s elite divisions was Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, with 30 goals.

Lewandowski’s tally marks the highest number of goals scored by a Golden Shoe winner since Cristiano Ronaldo found the net 48 times for Real Madrid in the 2014-15 La Liga season.

Messi boasts the most prolific season over the award’s 53-year history, notching 50 goals for Barcelona during the 2011-12 La Liga campaign.

In addition to finishing as the Bundesliga’s top scorer for the fourth consecutive season, Lewandowski scored five goals in six Champions League outings, two goals in the Club World Cup, and a further nine goals while on international duty this term.

Top scorer from each of Europe’s top five leagues: