Kylian Mbappe will not win the La Liga trophy again this year, as Barcelona are miles ahead of Real Madrid – 14 points to be exact. But if there’s any consolation, the Frenchman is on the brink of winning his second consecutive Pichichi trophy, which would further cement his status as one of the finest forwards in the world today.
With 24 goals in 28 appearances, Mbappe is the league’s Golden Boot runner. However, the SBOTOP La Liga 2026 odds don’t have him as the runaway leader just yet, as Vedat Muriqi is on his heels with 22 goals in 34 appearances, and we still have three more matchdays to go.
Not to be left out, Ante Budimir, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres are also in the running for the Golden Boot trophy. However, they still have a lot of catching up to do as we’re winding down the 2025-26 campaign.
Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe’s first full season with Real Madrid saw him win the Pichichi trophy for notching 31 goals in 34 games, making him the first Los Blancos star since 2021-22 Karim Benzema to take home the prestigious individual award. Doing so also helped Mbappe win the 2024-25 European Golden Boot.
But despite producing at a high level, Mbappe’s second full season with Real Madrid hasn’t gone according to plan, as the club hasn’t had much stability behind the scenes this year. First was the firing of Xabi Alonso, which Mbappe reportedly wasn’t a fan of. Since then, Los Blancos have gone with Alvaro Arbeloa, and the team will unlikely win anything this year. And a few days ago, several teammates of his were in fisticuffs, namely Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Antonio Rudiger, and Alvaro Carreras.
A recent hamstring injury also prevented Mbappe from having more goals in the Spanish top-flight. Otherwise, he would have a bigger lead over Vedat Muriqi. Given what has happened in the past few weeks, some Real Madrid fans have urged the club to consider offloading Mbappe.
Mbappe’s goal involvements have been one of the few bright spots this term, so it would be asinine for the club to grant the shortsighted fans’ wish. More than anything, Los Blancos must find the right manager to handle their volatile dressing room.
Vedat Muriqi, Mallorca
If it weren’t for Vedat Muriqi’s production, Mallorca would’ve been in the drop zone. As noted, Muriqi has 22 goals in 34 games this year, accounting for more than half of the team’s total (43 goals). Believe it or not, only Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland have more goals than him in Europe’s Top 5 leagues this campaign.
Muriqi went on a mini-drought since Mallorca’s 3-0 rout of Rayo Vallecano last month, where he scored twice between the 36th and 40th minutes, and he ended his slide by scoring the equaliser during their 1-1 draw against Villarreal last time out, right before the halftime break.
The 32-year-old striker has drawn suitors ahead of the summer transfer window, and one of them is Barcelona, as Hansi Flick’s side is looking to strengthen their attacking corps amid Robert Lewandowski’s increasingly cloudy future. According to reports, Muriqi is the Blaugrana’s second choice behind Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, who has notched eight goals in 29 games this term.
Before listening to any transfer offers, Muriqi’s current task is to guide Mallorca to safety by scoring more goals in their last three league matches.
Ante Budimir, Osasuna
A European football spot is within Osasuna’s reach, thanks to Ante Budimir’s production this term. The 34-year-old striker, who finished third in the Pichichi race last term, is also third this year with 17 goals in 34 matches.
Before this season, Budimir became the club’s top foreign goal scorer in history, breaching the 60-goal mark to pass Jan Urban. He’ll look to add more to his total and create new La Liga 2026 highlights when Osasuna host Atletico Madrid later.
Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal, Barcelona
Barcelona are on the cusp of securing their second consecutive La Liga title, as they boast the league’s best attack by a mile. With 91 goals, they have at least 21 goals more than the rest of the chasing pack, and top scorers Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal are the big reasons why.
Torres and Yamal are level with 16 goals apiece, good for joint-fourth in the Pichichi race. Yamal also leads the Blaugrana in assists with 11, and Torres has been on the scoresheet in Barcelona’s recent victories against Osasuna and Real Madrid.
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