Friday 24 May 2019 23:02, UK
Lionel Messi is set to win a third successive European Golden Shoe for the highest domestic league goalscorer after only realistic challenger Kylian Mbappe finished the season three behind.
After completing another prolific La Liga season having plundered 36 goals, Messi's tally meant Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe needed to score four against Reims in PSG's final Ligue 1 fixture on Friday night to deny Messi a historic individual treble.
Mbappe, though, could only score once as PSG finished their season with a 3-1 defeat, meaning Messi is all-but confirmed as Europe's leading marksman once more, and will become the first player to win the award three times in a row.
This will be the sixth time Messi has picked up the award after becoming the first footballer to win the European Golden Shoe on five occasions last season, surpassing four-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mbappe finished second on 33 and Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella was in third on 26, although the Italian has one final chance to add to his tally this weekend as Serie A draws to a close.
