As the countdown to the 2026–27 ADNOC Pro League season continues, attention is once again turning to the race for the Golden Boot. Over the years, the award has been claimed by some of the League's most prolific goalscorers, players who have left an enduring mark on the competition's history.
Among the most prominent names are Asamoah Gyan, Ali Mabkhout, and Kodjo Laba, whose remarkable goalscoring exploits have earned them a place among the League's greatest forwards.
The first Golden Boot winner of the professional era was Fernando Baiano, who scored 25 goals for Al Jazira during the 2008–09 season.
One year later, José Sand claimed the honour with 24 goals for Al Ain, before André Senghor finished as the League's top scorer in 2010–11 after netting 18 goals for Bani Yas.
Asamoah Gyan then produced one of the competition's most dominant goalscoring spells, winning the Golden Boot in three consecutive seasons with Al Ain.
The Ghanaian striker scored 22 goals in 2011–12, followed by an outstanding 31-goal campaign in 2012–13, before adding 29 goals in 2013–14.
Mirko Vučinić succeeded Gyan as the League's top scorer after netting 25 goals for Al Jazira in the 2014–15 season. Sebastián Tagliabúe then claimed the Golden Boot with Al Wahda in 2015–16 after scoring 25 goals and returned to win the award again in 2018–19 with 27 goals.
Ali Mabkhout continues to hold the record for the most goals scored in a single ADNOC Pro League season, having struck 33 times for Al Jazira in 2016–17. He claimed his second Golden Boot in 2020–21 after finishing the campaign with 25 goals.
Marcus Berg topped the scoring charts in 2017–18 with 25 goals for Al Ain, while Omar Khribin was crowned the League's leading scorer in 2023–24 after scoring 18 goals for Al Wahda.
In recent years, Kodjo Laba has established himself as the dominant force in the Golden Boot race. The Al Ain striker has won the award four times, scoring 26 goals in 2021–22 and 28 in 2022–23. He regained the Golden Boot in 2024–25 with 20 goals before successfully retaining the award in 2025–26 after finishing the season with 25 goals.
With a new season about to begin, another chapter in the race for the Golden Boot is set to unfold, as the League's leading strikers compete to add their names to one of the ADNOC Pro League's most prestigious individual honours.
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