After being nominated for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award 2023, Rafael Nadal said he wants Lionel Messi to win this year's Laureus Sportsman title as both he and the Argentine football star have been nominated for the top prize.

Both Nadal and Messi had a great performances in 2022 in their respective sports. While Nadal topped the list of all-time Grand Slam titles in 2022 with 22 trophies. It was a beautiful year for Messi as his leadership and performances helped Argentina win the FIFA World Cup 2022 title in Qatar along with the Golden Ball. Nadal wrote in a story on Instagram on that. He said that he was "honored" to be nominated for the award and felt Messi "deserves" it. Nadal himself has called Messi deserving of the title despite being nominated.

"An honor to be nominated again to the Laureus Sportsman of the Year … but … this year … vamos @leomessi te lo mereces tu . He is a top player in history and he played almost his entire career in my country," the athlete had said, adding. I still think that Argentina is a candidate to win the World Cup."

The former World No. 1 declared on his Instagram story.

"Messi lifting the World Cup made me happy. That someone so great culminates with a title that was missing, of this caliber, with all that it means for Argentina."

Apart from Rafael Nadal and Lionel Messi, some other players have also been nominated for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award 2023. They are Kylian Mbappé, Max Verstappen (motor racing), Armand Duplantis (athletics), and Steve Kerr (basketball). The nominees for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award 2023 were among the best in 2022.

This is Rafael Nadal's ninth nomination at the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award, while it is Lionel Messi's eighth. Both the tplayers have now received the nomination for Sportsman of the Year seven times. Argentine jointly won the award alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2020, and Rafael Nadal earned the accolades in 2011 and 2021. Additionally, the duo have been nominated for the Breakthrough of the Year in 2006, where the Spaniard clinched the trophy. The tennis legend also received the award in the Comeback of the Year category in 2014.

The No.10 jersey in football is always an iconic one. Be it for any club, country or any team playing in a local tournament, usually the best player of the team or the attacker wears the No.10 jersey for the team. 

FC Barcelona, one of the best and historical clubs in the World, had some of the greatest players ever to wear the No. 10 jersey for them. Today, in this article, we will discuss 10 legendary Barcelona players who have worn the jersey no. 10. 

To give you the context of the article, let me remind you that, after a great 2024-25 season, Lamine Yamal is set to wear the No.10 jersey for FC Barcelona in the next season, only if Ansu Fati leaves the club. 

Read Also | Football jersey numbers: Significance of jersey numbers in football

1. Lionel Messi (2008-2021)

If you talk about any stats or legendary things about FC Barcelona, there is a chance that you will have to mention the little man from Argentina, Lionel Messi. Most goals, most trophies, most assists, most Ballon d'Ors, and many more records for the club - Messi has everything to his name.

Messi had 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 appearances for FC Barcelona and left the club with the most number of titles. The 8-time Ballon d'Or winner wore the No.10 jersey for the first time in 2008 when Ronaldinho left the Catalan club to join AC Milan. 

Since then, Messi has worn the iconic jersey for 14 years, before leaving the club as the greatest Barcelona player. 

Read Also | 11 players who have won the most trophies in football history

2. Diego Maradona (1982–1984)

An Argentine legend followed by another one. One of the greatest footballers ever, Diego Maradona, who is known for his time at Italian Club Napoli, spent two seasons at FC Barcelona as well. 

Although Maradona's stint at Barcelona was full of controversies and injuries, he scored 38 goals in 58 matches and won the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup for FC Barcelona. 

3. Ronaldinho (2003–2008)

With his Samba magic and flair, Ronaldinho is regarded as one of the greatest Barcelona players ever. The Brazilian legend was there when Messi made his debut and gave him all the support to fill his shoes later. Before Messi, it was Ronaldinho, who used to wear the No. 10 jersey for FC Barcelona. 

Ronaldinho scored 94 goals and provided 71 assists in 207 matches for FC Barcelona. 

Alongside winning two La Liga titles, he also won the 2006 UEFA Champions League for the Spanish club.

Read Also | Top 10 Greatest EL Clasico Matches of All Time

4. Gary Lineker (1986–1989)

Gary Lineker is one of the greatest English players ever to play for FC Barcelona. From 1986 to 1989, Lineker played for FC Barcelona in 138 matches, wearing the famous No. 10 jersey. 

Lineker scored 51 goals for the Catalan club and helped them win the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1989.

5. Rivaldo (1997–2002)

Rivaldo, the Brazilian legend and captain, joined FC Barcelona in the 1997 season and played 235 games for the Catalan, the most he played for any club in his career. The attacking midfielder scored 130 goals for Barcelona and won four titles, including two La Liga titles. 

Not only that, during his stint at Barcelona, he won the FIFA Best Player Award and Ballon d'Or award in 1999. 

Read Also | Football Facts: Players With Champions League, World Cup and Ballon d'Or

6. César Rodríguez (1939–1955)

Since there was no consistency in jersey numbers during the 1930s and 1940s era, it is quite unclear how many games he played wearing the No. 10 jersey for FC Barcelona. But Cesar, who wore the No. 10 jersey occasionally for FC Barcelona, played 344 games for the club.

In those games, he scored 226 goals and won 11 trophies for the club, including 5 La Liga titles. With 28 goals, he also finished the 1948-49 season as the top scorer of La Liga.

7. Juan Román Riquelme (2002–2005)

Another Argentine legend is on the list of legendary players to wear the No. 10 jersey for FC Barcelona. Riquelme, the legendary Argentine attacking midfielder, though he only played 42 games for FC Barcelona, made his mark before leaving for Villarreal and Boca Juniors. 

8. Michael Laudrup (1989–1994)

Laudrup, the Danish playmaker, was an integral part of Johan Cruyff’s dream team. The stylish midfielder played 226 games for FC Barcelona and scored 54 goals for the club. Along with his goals, Laudrup assisted 26 times as well. 

Laudrup won 9 trophies for FC Barcelona, including 1 UEFA Champions League, 4 La Liga titles, 1 UEFA Supercup and 2 Spanish Super Cups. Post becoming FC Barcelona.

After his successful 1992 and 1993 seasons, Laudrup joined Real Madrid the next season. 

9. Luis Suárez Miramontes (1955–1961)

One of the greatest Spanish midfielders, Luis Suárez Miramontes, is also one of the greatest FC Barcelona players. Luis Suárez Miramontes, in 176 games for FC Barcelona, scored 80 goals and assisted 21 times. 

Suarez won two La Liga titles and two Spanish Cup titles for FC Barcelona before moving to Inter Milan, where he flourished as a striker and went on to win two Champions League titles as well. 

But before leaving for Inter Milan, he won the 1960 Ballon d'Or while playing for FC Barcelona.

10. Hugo Sotil (1973–1976)

Hugo Sotil, the Peruvian striker, was one of the key players for FC Barcelona during the Johan Cruyff era. In 70 games, he scored 18 goals and helped FC Barcelona win the 1973–74 La Liga title.

Hugo was one of the key members of Barcelona's resurgence in the 1970s. 

The European Golden Boot or European Golden Shoe is awarded annually to the leading goal scorer in league matches in the top divisions of European football. First awarded in 1968, this prestigious honour is judged on a points-based system.

Also Read: Players with the most champions league titles

Golden Boot: Rules

The winner is not simply the player with the most goals in the season. There is a weighting system where the goals scored in the top-ranked leagues are worth more. Players from the five highest ranked leagues according to UEFA (based on results of each league's clubs in European competition over the previous five seasons) get 2 points per scored goal, leagues ranked 6-22 get 1.5 points per goal and the remaining leagues get 1 point per goal.

The top five ranked leagues in 2022 were Germany, Spain, England, Italy, and France. The winners usually come from the top-ranked leagues.

Historical Overview

Between 1968 and 1991, the award was given by L'Équipe to the highest goalscorer in any European league. Between 1991 and 1996 there were no official awards given to the top goal scorers, but the leading goalscorer for those years have since been recognized.

Since the 1996–97 season, the award, given by European Sports Media, has used a weighted points system.

Most Golden Boots win

Lionel Messi has won the European Golden Boot a record six times (2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19). The next closest is Cristiano Ronaldo with four (2007-08, 2010-11, 2013-14, 2014-15).

Let's take a look at the most Golden Boots win in football history.

Also Read: Manchester United Trophy Cabinet

Most Golden Boots win in football history (All Time)

1. Lionel Messi | 6 Times

2. Cristiano Ronaldo | 4 Times

3. Luis Suárez | 2 Times

4. Thierry Henry | 2 Times

5. Robert Lewandowski | 2 Times

Novak Djokovic has now played 430 Grand Slam matches, taking sole possession of the record for the most singles matches played in the Open Era, ahead of Federer (429) and Serena Williams (423). No other player has reached 400 matches. Let's take a look at the top 10 players who have the records of most matches played in Grand Slam in the Open Era.

Also Read: Youngest Grand Slam Champion (Men) | Top 10 List

Most Matches Played in Grand Slam

10. Stan Wawrinka | 221

Stan Wawrinka, who turned professional in 2002, played a total of 225 Grand Slam matches. He is a three-time Grand Slam champion and appeared in 50-straight Grand Slams before missing the 2017 US Open with two season-ending left knee surgeries. He is one of just three players to have defeated Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal at Grand Slams. Wawrinka reached four Grand Slam singles finals in his career to date, winning three, the 2014 Australian Open, the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open; each time he defeated the reigning world No. 1 in the championship match (Rafael Nadal once and Novak Djokovic twice, respectively).

9. Stefan Edberg | 225

Swede Edberg competed in only 225 Grand Slam matches and he won 178 of those. Edberg, who turned professional in 1983 and retired in 1996, won two Wimbledon titles, two US Open trophies and two Australian Open titles during his 13-year career. In total he played 1,071 career matches for a win-loss record of 801–270 (74.8%)

8. Pete Sampras | 241

Pete Sampras has competed in 241 matches at Grand Slam tournaments. He compiled a 762-222 career singles record (77.4%) putting him in the top-10 all-time for the Open Era. Sampras captured 64 tour singles titles in 265 overall tournaments (was also a finalist in 24 tournaments). At the age of 19 years and 28 days, Sampras became the youngest US Open men’s singles champion in history, defeating his career-rival Andre Agassi.

Also Read: Oldest Grand Slam Champion | Top 10 List

7. Andy Murray | 257

Andy Murray has played 257 Major matches (200-57) from the 1,001 total singles matches he has competed in (739-262). Among the four Grand Slam events, the Brit has played the most matches at Wimbledon (74), where he has a 61-13 record.

6. Ivan Lendl | 271

Ivan Lendl competed in 271 Grand Slam matches (222-49) from the 1,340 matches tour-level matches he played in total (1,068-242). The Czech-American contested more matches at the US Open (86) than any other Grand Slam and compiled a 73-13 record at Flushing Meadows.

5. Andre Agassi | 277

Andre Agassi contested 1,144 singles matches overall in his career (870-274), with 277 of these being played at Grand Slam events (224-53). Among the four Majors, the American played the most matches at the US Open (98), where he accumulated a 79-19 record.

Also Read: Grand Slam record: Most wins in grand slams

4. Jimmy Connors | 282

Jimmy Connors played an ATP record 1,557 matches in his career (1,274-283), with 282 of these coming at Majors (233-49). The American contested more matches at the US Open (115) than any other Grand Slam and amassed a 98-17 record at the New York showpiece.

3. Rafael Nadal | 358

Rafael Nadal has competed in 358 matches at Grand Slam tournaments (314-44) from the 1,300 matches he has played in total (1,075-225). The Spaniard holds a 112-4 record at Roland Garros, where he has played more matches than at any other tournament.

Also Read: Most Wimbledon Titles in Open Era (Men)

2. Roger Federer | 429 

Roger Federer is the legendary player who had the record of most matches played in Grand Slam but Djokovic beat him recently. He played 1,526 matches in total in his career (1,251-275), with 429 of his matches coming at Grand Slam events (369-60). The Swiss earned over 100 victories at both Wimbledon (105-14) and the Australian Open (102-15), while he also amassed 89-14 and 73-17 records at the US Open and Roland Garros respectively.

1. Novak Djokovic | 430

Following his third round win at Australian Open 2025, Novak Djokovic surpassed his great rival Roger Federer. Djokovic has contested 430* matches at Majors (371-49) from 1,325 matches overall (1,106-219). The Serbian has won more than 90 matches at the French Open (96-16), the Australian Open (94-9), and Wimbledon (93-11), while he holds a 88-13 US Open record.

The European leagues are up and running and we have already witnessed some great encounters between the top European teams. The hunt to win the European Golden Boot is also taking shape for the 2024-25 season.

Some big names from the Top five European leagues are already in full swing and they are scoring loads of goals to clinch the coveted annual award for the highest goalscorer in Europe. However, some young and talented players have enlisted themselves in the charts as well; even from outside of the top five European leagues.

According to the coefficient rankings updated by UEFA on 7 November 2024, the top five European Leagues are the English Premier League, Serie A (Italy), LaLiga (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany), and French Ligue 1 respectively. 

Sportzpoint brings you all the details about the leading goalscorers in the top five European leagues, details of the UEFA League ranking, and the leading goalscorers competing for the 2024-25 European Golden Boot.

The European Golden Boot Race

The Golden Boot is awarded by European Sports Media (ESM) which is a unified association of Football Magazine publications such as Marca, Kicker, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Frankfurter AZ, etc. They took over since 1996-97 season and started a new ranking system based on the position of the league for the respective players. 

The UEFA coefficient ranking is considered a measure for weighting points, with the principle being to acknowledge players who score in leagues of higher quality according to rankings, which makes it tougher to find the back of the net.

The number of goals scored in the top five leagues of Europe are counted with a multiplier of two, while those from leagues ranked six to 21 receive a 1.5 multiplier, and goals from all other leagues are counted as one.

This is how the points system works. 

⚽️🏆 Players with the Most European Golden Boot Wins:

🇦🇷 Lionel Messi: 6
🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo: 4
🇺🇾 Luis Suarez: 2
🇫🇷 Thierry Henry: 2
🇵🇱 Robert Lewandowski: 2

😳😳😳🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/AObaXoSpah

— Sholy Nation Sports (@Sholynationsp) July 26, 2024

Before looking at the players' list, here is the official UEFA ranking of league coefficients:

UEFA Ranking: League coefficients

Rank 1-5

Goal scorers from these five leagues receive a multiplier of 2. 

Rank 6-21

Goal scorers from these leagues ranked from 6 to 21 receive a multiplier of 1.5. 

Top goalscorers of the 2024-25 season in the top 5 European Leagues (as of 24th May 2025):

Premier League | England

1. Mohamed Salah | 28 Goals

• Club: Liverpool FC
• Nationality: Egypt
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 28

2. Alexander Isak | 23 goals

• Club: Newcastle United
• Nationality: Sweden
• Appearances: 33
• Goals: 23

3. Erling Haaland | 21 goals

• Club: Manchester City
• Nationality: Norway
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 21

4. Chris Wood | 20 goals

• Club: Nottingham Forrest
• Nationality: New Zealand
• Appearances: 35
• Goals: 20

5. Bryan Mbeumo | 19 goals

• Club: Brentford
• Nationality: Cameroon
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 19

Serie A | Italy

1. Mario Retegui | 25 goals 

• Club: Atalanta BC
• Nationality: Italy
• Appearances: 35
• Goals: 25

2. Moise Kean | 18 goals

• Club: AFC Fiorentina
• Nationality: Italy
• Appearances: 10
• Goals: 5

3. Ademola Lookman | 15 goals

• Club: Atalanta BC
• Nationality: Nigeria
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 15

4. Romelo Lukaku | 14 goals

• Club: Napoli
• Nationality: Belgium
• Appearances: 36
• Goals: 14

5. Marcus Thuram | 14 goals 

• Club: Inter Milan
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 32
• Goals: 14

LaLiga | Spain

1. Kylian Mbappe | 30 goals

• Club: Real Madrid
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 34
• Goals: 30

2. Robert Lewandowski | 25 goals 

• Club: FC Barcelona
• Nationality: Poland
• Appearances: 33
• Goals: 25

3. Ante Budimir | 21 goals 

• Club: CA Osasuna
• Nationality: Croatia
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 21

4. Ayoze Perez | 19 goals 

• Club: Villarreal
• Nationality: Spain
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 19

5. Raphinha | 18 goals

• Club: FC Barcelona
• Nationality: Brazil
• Appearances: 35
• Goals: 18

Bundesliga | Germany 

1. Harry Kane | 26 goals 

• Club: Bayern Munich
• Nationality: England
• Appearances: 31
• Goals: 26

2. Serhou Guirassy | 21 goals

• Club: Borussia Dortmund
• Nationality: Guinea
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 21

3. Patrik Schick | 21 goals

• Club: Bayer Leverkusen 
• Nationality: Czech Republic
• Appearances: 31
• Goals: 21

4. Jonathan Burkardt | 18 goals

• Club: 1.FSV Mainz 05
• Nationality: Belgium
• Appearances: 29
• Goals: 18

5. Tim Kleindienst | 16 goals 

• Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
• Nationality: Germany
• Appearances: 31
• Goals: 16

Ligue 1 | France

1. Ousmane Dembele | 21 goals 

• Club: Paris Saint-Germain
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 29
• Goals: 21

2. Mason Greenwood | 21 goals 

• Club: Olympique de Marseille
• Nationality: England
• Appearances: 34
• Goals: 21

3. Arnaud Kalimuendo | 17 goals

• Club: Stade Rennais FC
  
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 33
• Goals: 17

4. Jonathan David | 16 goals

• Club: Lille OSC
• Nationality: Canada
• Appearances: 32
• Goals: 16

5. Alexandre Lacazette | 15 goals

• Club: Lyon
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 15

Read Also | Most goals in Europe's Top Five Leagues in 2023/24 Season

The Ultimate European Golden Boot Race (Among the top 10 European Leagues according to UEFA coefficient rankings)

Considering the players from the top 10 European leagues in this list, this is what the current race of chasing the 2024-25 European Golden Boot looks like:

The Champions League has always been a huge honour for any team. Teams like Real Madrid have won the trophy as many as 15 times while AC Milan, FC Barcelona, Ajax and Bayern Munich have won found success in Europe's biggest club competition. 

As a result, the players from such elite teams as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Ajax, and AC Milan dominate the charts of players with the most Champions League titles.

Also Read: Most Champions League titles won by Football Clubs

Players who have won the most Champions League titles

Iconic Real Madrid left-winger Paco Gento used to hold the record for the most Champions League titles by a player. He has won six trophies in his 18 years at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Real Madrid legends Toni Kroos, Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric and Nacho have equalled his record and became the only players to win six Champions League titles in the UCL era. 

Former Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is tied up at 5 UCL titles with players like Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Larence Seedorf as well as other Real Madrid giants in Hector Rial and Marquitos, Lucas Vázquez, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and a few others.

Also Read: Top 5 Defenders with the Most Champions League Goals

Former Barcelona superstars, Lionel Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, and Gerard Pique won four titles as a player. 

List of Players who have won more than four UCL titles: