Frank Christian
The Gerd Muller Trophy is a new accolade from France Football recognizing the top goal scorer in Europe for an entire season.
First awarded in 2021 at the annual Ballon d’Or event, it was initially called the “Striker of the Year” before being renamed to honor legendary German striker Gerd Muller.
Robert Lewandowski was the first to win the trophy, claiming it in both 2021 and 2022 during his tenure at Bayern Munich. Last year’s recipient was Erling Haaland, who had a record-breaking season with Manchester City in 2022/23.
Unlike other awards like the Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy, or Yashin Trophy, which are determined by votes, the Gerd Muller Trophy is based strictly on scoring statistics across top professional leagues and international competitions.
While the winner is often anticipated due to statistical clarity, this year’s recipient remains a mystery until the ceremony. The Sporting News provides updates on the potential candidates and the uncertainty surrounding the outcome.
Who is the 2024 Gerd Muller Trophy winner?
The next Gerd Muller Trophy will either go to Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappe. The winner will be declared during the Ballon d’Or ceremony on October 28.
Each player finished the season with 52 goals: 44 from club matches and 8 from international games. Kane claimed the 2023/24 European Golden Shoe for scoring the most goals in top European leagues, but Mbappe had a significant impact with PSG in various competitions.
However, the criteria for breaking any ties between them remain unclear. France Football has stated they will disclose the tie-breaking criteria at the ceremony, keeping the suspense alive.
The common tiebreaking method for equal goal tallies is assists. In this case, Mbappe leads with 19 assists compared to Kane’s 13, having achieved 10 assists for PSG and 9 for the French national team last season.
If measured by minutes per goal scored, Mbappe again has a slight advantage, needing 5,116 minutes to Kane’s 5,252, giving him a rate of 98.38 minutes per goal versus Kane’s 101 minutes.
Potential candidates for the 2024 Gerd Muller Trophy
Here’s a look at the leading goal scorers across major European leagues and international competitions in 2023/24.
| Player | Club (Goals) | Country (Goals) | Total Goals |
| Harry Kane | Bayern Munich (44) | England (8) | 52 |
| Kylian Mbappe | PSG (44) | France (8) | 52 |
| Erling Haaland | Man City (38) | Norway (7) | 45 |
Why Cristiano Ronaldo is not a contender for the Gerd Muller Trophy?
Despite his impressive career and striking numbers for Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo is not eligible for the Gerd Muller Trophy. According to France Football, the award is reserved for the leading goal scorer among players contracted to European clubs.
Since Ronaldo currently plays for Al Nassr in the Asian league, he does not qualify for this award.
Last season, Ronaldo set a record for goals in a single Saudi Pro League season, which could have put him among the top contenders had he been eligible.
However, he still fell short with a total of 51 goals, trailing behind Kane and Mbappe’s 52 goals. Notably, his six goals in the Arab Club Champions Cup do not count for this trophy since it is not a FIFA-sanctioned tournament.
Who was Gerd Muller?
The Gerd Muller Trophy is named after the iconic striker who played for Bayern Munich and the German national team, becoming the first German player to win the Ballon d’Or in 1970.
Known as ‘Der Bomber’, Muller was a prolific scorer, setting a record of 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches that still stands today. He won the European Golden Shoe twice.
Gerd Müller, the very first german Ballon d’Or! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/Sp5Bw5qUxo
— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) July 29, 2024
A four-time league champion and three-time European Cup winner with Bayern, Muller is among the rare few who have claimed the FIFA World Cup, European Cup/UEFA Champions League, and Ballon d’Or throughout their careers.
What sets the Gerd Muller Trophy apart from the European Golden Shoe?
Though both the Gerd Muller Trophy and the European Golden Shoe reward top goal scorers in Europe, there are key differences.
Firstly, the European Golden Shoe only accounts for league goals during a season, while the Gerd Muller Trophy includes goals from all club competitions and international fixtures.
Furthermore, the European Golden Shoe applies a weighting to goals scored in more prominent leagues, so a player’s tally is valued differently based on the league’s stature. For instance, Kane’s 2023/24 victory included goals scored in a major European league, multiplying his tally, while goals from less prominent leagues receive lower multipliers.
In contrast, the Gerd Muller Trophy treats all goals equally, allowing any player with a high total to compete for the award across club and national team performances.
