Are you a betting man wondering who wins the golden boot if two footballers score the same number of goals? This article concisely answers that question!
As the most coveted individual award in top football competitions across the globe, the Golden Boot is a very elusive trophy reserved only for the best of the best.
You might have guessed it: the player who scores the most goals gets the Golden Boot or Golden Shoe trophy. But what happens if they score the same number of goals as another participant? Well, the tie is resolved by looking at other stats.
For instance, the player with more assists takes home the Golden Boot in such cases. Let’s look at how all major football competitions handle the issue.
Also, we’ll see what happens to your bet if and when that happens.
What Happens in the Champions League?
While the top scorers in the UEFA Champions League do not receive an actual golden boot trophy like players of other major competitions, records are still kept.
Because of that, the top scorer accolade can be shared among two or more players. For instance, during the 2014/15 season, the top scorer honour was shared by three players who all scored 10 goals each: Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi.
As of the 2021/22 season, the record for most goals scored in a single Champions League season is held by Cristiano Ronaldo: 17 goals in 2013/14. He also has the record for the most goals scored, 140 goals in 183 appearances, and most wins (7).
What Happens in the Euro and the World Cup?
The UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup award the Golden Boot trophy to the corresponding tournament’s top scorer after the final match.
Moreover, both of these competitions share the same rules when it comes to awarding the Golden Boot: the player with the most goals wins the trophy.
In a tiebreaker situation, the number of assists determines the winner. If the tie is unresolved, the winner is the player who has played the fewest minutes.
The last Golden Boot at the World Cup was won by Kylian Mbappé in 2022 who scored 8 goals throughout the tournament, with Messi right behind him with 7.
The last Euro Golden Boot went to Cristiano Ronaldo in 2020, when he scored the same number of goals as Patrick Schick (5) but had one assist more.
What Happens in the European Club Championships?
The player who scores the most goals across a season in all European national leagues is awarded a real Golden Shoe trophy—a sculpture of a football boot.
While this award could be shared among several players in the past (incepted in 1967/68), the rule was changed in 2019/20 by introducing a tiebreaker: least minutes played.
As of the 2021/22 season, Lionel Messi has won the Golden Shoe six times, with Cristiano Ronaldo trailing behind with 4 wins. The last two Golden Shoe trophies (2020/21 and 2021/22) went to Robert Lewandowski while playing for Bayern Munich.
What Happens in the EPL?
Last but not least, let’s see how the award is given out in the English Premier League: the Golden Boal is awarded to the player who scored the most goals and can be shared among two or more players as there is no tiebreaker rule implemented yet.
As a matter of fact, the last Premier League Golden Boot was shared by Mohamed Salah, who plays for Liverpool and scored 23 goals in 35 matches and Son Heung-min, who plays for Tottenham and had the same stats—both averaged 0.66 goals per match.
The record for most EPL Golden Boot wins is currently held by Thierry Henry, who won all four accolades while he played for Arsenal in the early 2000s.
What Happens to Your Bet?
You’ve bet on a certain player winning the Golden Boot, but several footballers scored the same number of goals, and you are unsure how much you exactly won?
First of all, betting sites differentiate between a Top Goalscorer and Golden Boot winner—the former is the player or players who score the most goals, whereas the latter is the player who actually receives the award, based on a tiebreaker if necessary.
Moreover, if you place a Top Goalscorer bet and more than one player scores the same number of goals, Dead Heat rules would most certainly apply—your winnings will be divided by the number of players who meet the same betting criteria.
For example, you would have won a Top Goalscorer bet for the 2014/15 Champions League season if you had chosen Neymar, Messi, or Cristiano Ronaldo (they all scored 10 goals each), but you would have received a third of your potential winnings.
However, while most bookies use Dead Heat rules, not all of them do. Therefore, before betting, you should check the rules of specific markets to be in the clear if you find yourself in a similar situation. You wouldn’t want to throw away a winning slip, right?
In any case, betting sites offer both markets—Top Goalscorer and Golden Boot winner—and you are not likely to make a mistake as you can place two different bets.
Conclusion
Now that you’re privy to the rules regarding the Golden Boot trophy, you can confidently place your bets on your favourite players. Just remember, if two or more footballers score the same number of goals, you may not necessarily be a winner—it all depends on whether you placed a Top Goalscorer or a Golden Boot bet and the rules enforced by your specific bookie. That said, in most cases, you would get a share of the reward.