Messi Receives Golden Boot

Madrid, Sep 2. -Argentinean striker Lionel Messi received the Golden Boot in the Spanish city of Barcelona, an award for being the top scorer in the European leagues last season.

Messi, who plays for Barcelona FC, scored 34 goals in the last Spanish championship and went behind Ivory Coaster Didier Drogba (Chelsea) and Italian Antonio di Natale (Udinese), who scored 29 goals each one and Argentinean Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid) who scored 27.

Uruguayan striker Luis Sanchez, who plays for Ajax in Amsterdam, headed the list of European strikers with 35 goals, but German, French, English, Italian and Spanish leagues are considered superior regarding quality and thatâ�Ös why goals are considered more difficult to score,so, Messi was chosen as the awarded.

The Argentinean star took Barcelona FC to the top to the Spanish League and got the most prestigious awards of the world: Golden Ball and FIFA World Player of the Year 2009.

Messi is the second Argentinean soccer player to get the Golden Boot after Hector Casimiro "Chirola" Yazalde.

Chirola, FIFA World Player of the Year 1970, played in Independiente in Argentina and later signed to Sporting Lisbon. In that Portuguese club he scored 46 goals in 30 matches in 1973-74 season.

Messi is also the second Barcelona FC player who gets this award. The first one was, Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario da Lima, who scored 34 goals in 1996-97 season, the only season he played for that team.

The award was created in 1967-68 season at the request of the Association of European sports magazines.

Golden Boot Winners:

Season Player Goals Team

1967-68 Eusebio (POR) 42 SL Benfica.

1968-69 Petar Jekov (BUL) 36 CSKA Sofía.

1969-70 Gerd Muller (RFA) 38 FC Bayern Munich.

1970-71 Josip Skoblar (YUG) 44 Olímpico Marsella.

1971-72 Gerd Muller (RFA) 40 FC Bayern Munich.

1972-73 Eusebio (POR) 42 SL Benfica.

1973-74 H.C. Yazalde (ARG) 46 Sporting Lisbon.

1974-75 Dudu Georgescu (RUM) 33 Dinamo Bucarest.

1975-76 Sotiris Kaiafas (CYP)39 AC Omonia.

1976-77 Dudu Georgescu (RUM) 47 Dinamo Bucharest.

1977-78 Hansi Krankl (AUT) 41 Rapid Vienna.

1978-79 Kees Kist (HOL) 34 AZ Alkmaar.

1979-80 Erwin Vandenberg (BEL) 39 Lierse SK.

1980-81 Georgi Slavkov (BUL) 31 Trakia Plovdiv.

1981-82 Wim Kieft (HOL) 32 Ajax Amsterdam.

1982-83 Fernando Gomes (POR) 36 FC Oporto.

1983-84 Ian Rush (WAL) 32 Liverpool FC.

1984-85 Fernando Gomes (POR) 39 FC Oporto.

1985-86 Marco Van Basten (HOL) 37 Ajax Amsterdam.

1986-87 Toni Polster (AUT) 39 Austria Vienna.

1987-88 Tanju Colak (TUR) 39 Galatasaray SK.

1988-89 Dorin Mateut (RUM) 43 Dinamo Bucarest.

1989-90 Hristo Stoichkov (BUL) 38 CSKA Sofia.

Hugo Sánchez (MEX) 38 Real Madrid.

1990-91 Darko Pancev (YUG) 34 Estrella Roja.

1991-92 Ally McCoist (SCO) 34 Glasgow Rangers.

1992-93 Ally McCoist (SCO) 34 Glasgow Rangers.

1993-94 David Taylor (WAL) 43 Porthmadog FC

1994-95 Arsen Avitisyan (ARM) 39 Homenhem.

1995-96 Zviad Endeladze (GEO) 40 Margveti.

1996-97 Ronaldo (BRA) 34 FC Barcelona.

1997-98 Nikos Machlas (GRE) 34 SBV Vitesse.

1998-99 Mario Jardel (BRA) 36 FC Oporto.

1999-00 Kevin Phillips (ING) 30 Sunderland.

2000-01 Henrik Larsson (SUE) 35 Celtic.

2001-02 Mario Jardel (BRA) 42 Sporting Lisbon.

2002-03 Roy Makaay (HOL) 29 Deportivo La Coruña.

2003-04 Thierry Henry (FRA) 30 Arsenal.

2004-05 Thierry Henry (FRA) 25 Arsenal.

2005-06 Luca Toni (ITA) 31 AC Fiorentina.

2006-07 Francesco Totti (ITA) 26 AS Roma.

2007-08 C.Ronaldo (POR) 31 Manchester United.

2008-09 Diego Forlán (URU) 32 At. Madrid.

2009-10 Lionel Messi (ARG) 34 Barcelona FC.
(Prensa Latina)