Lionel Messi retains Golden Shoe as PSG and Kylian Mbappe frustrated by Reims
Third time in a row the Barcelona forward has scored the most goals in domestic matches in European leagues
May 25, 2019
Lionel Messi has become the first player to win Europe's Golden Shoe award for three straight years after his nearest challenger Kylian Mbappe failed to score the four goals he needed in Paris St Germain's final league match of the season on Friday.
Messi earned the honour, which goes to the leading scorer in league matches in Europe's top divisions, for a record-extending sixth time after finding the net 36 times for Barcelona, while Mbappe ended the campaign on 33 goals after scoring PSG's only goal in a 3-1 loss at Reims.
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While Messi's goal haul helped his side clinch the La Liga title last month the 31-year-old Argentine said earlier on Friday that he was not giving the Golden Shoe race much thought with the side still coming to terms with their Champions League semi-final elimination to Liverpool.
"I haven't been thinking about that prize at all, we are still coping with what happened against Liverpool and I'm not thinking about personal awards," Messi told a news conference ahead of Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Valencia.
PSG were punished at the end of a counter attack in the 36th minute when Abdul Rahman Baba found the back of the net with an angled shot that went between Buffon's legs to give Reims the lead.
Mathieu Cafaro doubled Reims' tally in the 56th minute with a powerful shot from just inside the box that caught Buffon off guard.
Kylian Mbappe, who needed four goals to match Lionel Messi's league tally of 36 for Barcelona this season, was toothless until he finally came to life and reduced the arrears three minutes later from close range.
That was Mbappe's 33rd goal in Ligue 1 this season, the most by a Frenchman in the top-flight since Philippe Gondet netted 36 times for Nantes in 1966.
Pablo Chavarria, however, put the result beyond doubt when he added a third for Reims in stoppage time.
PSG finished on 91 points while Reims ended with 55 points in eighth place.
Published: May 25, 2019 08:32 AM
