SoccerSep 26
Joseph Ede Oloko edges Raphinha in European Golden Shoe race
The Benin striker leads the standings through his scoring exploits in Latvia, but Barcelona’s new central threat is close behind.
By OddsListing wire desk
· 2 min read
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Oloko sets the early pace
Joseph Ede Oloko is ahead of some of Europe’s biggest attacking names in the 2026-27 European Golden Shoe standings, with Raphinha his nearest challenger. The 25-year-old has scored 25 goals in 27 Latvian league appearances, spending time on loan at Tukums before returning to parent club FK Liepāja. That haul gives him 25 points, narrowly ahead of Raphinha’s 24. Oloko still has five league matches remaining before the Latvian season finishes in early November. His prolific form has also brought a first senior callup for Benin.
Raphinha thrives through the middle
Barcelona’s captain has adapted quickly after moving from the wing into a central attacking role following Robert Lewandowski’s summer departure for Chicago Fire. Raphinha has delivered 12 goals in seven LaLiga appearances, including hat tricks in successive matches played four days apart. His league tally exceeds those of Kylian Mbappé, who has seven goals in seven games, and Erling Haaland, with five in five. Reigning Golden Shoe winner Harry Kane has three goals in four matches after claiming last season’s award with 36 Bundesliga goals for Bayern Munich.
Why the gap is so small
The Golden Shoe uses weighted points rather than raw goal totals. Goals in Europe’s leading leagues, including LaLiga, count double, while each goal in Latvia earns a single point. That leaves Oloko barely ahead despite his much larger scoring total. Djurgården’s Kristian Stromland Lien also has 24 points, from 16 goals, and sits behind Raphinha in the standings. The calendar helps explain the leaderboard’s composition: players in summer leagues are well into their campaigns, while their counterparts in Europe’s major winter-season competitions have only recently started. Raphinha therefore has considerably more of his domestic schedule ahead as he pursues the lead.
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