By Our Correspondent
National News – Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu has climbed into the top 10 of the European Golden Shoe rankings after an impressive goal-scoring run for Trabzonspor in the 2025/26 season.
The 31-year-old forward achieved the milestone after scoring 21 league goals in Turkey’s Super Lig, placing him among Europe’s most prolific attackers and strengthening Nigeria’s presence in elite European football.
Onuachu reached the ranking following consistent performances across 24 league appearances, where he also registered two assists and accumulated more than 2,000 minutes of play.
The Golden Shoe ranking measures goals scored across Europe’s leagues using a points coefficient system that gives more weight to goals scored in stronger competitions.
Currently occupying the 10th position with 31.5 points, Onuachu remains behind the leading scorer Harry Kane, who has netted 31 goals and accumulated 62 points for Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga.
Following Kane in the race are Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid with 23 goals and 46 points, and Erling Haaland of Manchester City with 22 goals and 44 points.
Other players ahead of the Nigerian forward include Igor Thiago of Brentford with 19 goals, Luis Suárez of Sporting CP with 24 goals, Deniz Undav of VfB Stuttgart, Vedat Muriqi of Mallorca, Ayase Ueda of Feyenoord and Joaquín Panichelli of Strasbourg.
Despite competing in a league with a lower coefficient of 1.5, Onuachu’s steady scoring form has kept him competitive against attackers playing in Europe’s top five leagues.
His climb in the rankings has largely been driven by a remarkable scoring streak in recent weeks.
During that run, the striker scored 10 goals in nine matches, including a streak of eight consecutive games on the scoresheet before it ended in a 1–0 victory over Eyüpspor ahead of the international break.
Among his standout performances were a brace in a 3–1 win against Kayserispor and another two-goal display in a 3–0 triumph over Samsunspor.
Onuachu also contributed a goal and an assist in a 3–1 victory over Fatih Karagümrük and found the net against Gaziantep FK, Fenerbahçe, Antalyaspor and Kasımpaşa.
His goals have proven decisive for Trabzonspor as they push for a strong finish to the season.
With seven league matches still remaining, the Nigerian international could climb higher in the European Golden Shoe standings if he maintains his scoring form.
