Brazil are back in the top 10 of the Golden Shoe.

But the person responsible for putting five-time world champion football back at the top of Europe’s domestic league top scorers charts this season is not Neymar nor any other player used to attend Tite’s calls.

Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, virtually unknown in his native country and acting continuously on the Old Continent since 2013, Jairo currently sits tenth in the prize race, led by Manchester City’s Erling Haaland of Norway, who has 50 points.

The number 10 from Paphos, third in the Cypriot First Division, has 16 goals in the competition and 24 points in the Golden Boot. With that, he is on par with names like Frenchman Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig) and Canadian Jonathan David (Lille).

Trained in Madureira, with insignificant stints at Internacional and Botafogo (virtually never played) and a trajectory that includes Slovakia (Trencin), Greece (PAOK and PAS Giannina), Moldova (Sheriff) and Croatia (Hadjuk Split), number 10 never rocked. both networks and now.

Jairo has averaged almost a goal per game this season (16 goals in 17 games played in the Cypriot league) and has netted six times in the last month alone (in five games).

This is how he managed to get ahead of Neymar, from Paris Saint-Germain, who has 22 points and occupies 21st position, to become the best Brazilian of this edition of the Golden Boot.

In addition to Jairo and the number 10 of the selection, the country of football has two other representatives in the top 100 artillery in Europe. Malcom (Zenit Saint Petersburg-RUS) is in 46th position and Renan Oliveira (Zalgiris Vinius-LIT) is 65th.

The biggest winner in the history of the award is Lionel Messi, who won six trophies (2009/2010, 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019). This season, the world champion with the Argentine national team has scored eight times for PSG in the French Ligue 1 and only appears in 82nd position (16 points).

Without great scorers consecrated on the international scene today, Brazil have already accomplished 20 years of fasting. The last time the country of soccer won the prize in 2001/2002, together with Jardel, then a Sporting player.

The former striker Guild also lifted the trophy in 1998/1999. Next to him, only Ronaldo (1996/1997) had already placed the five-time world champion on the highest place on the podium.

THE “Raphael Reis’s Blog” publishes every week, always on Tuesday, partials of the race for the position of top scorer of the Old Continent.

Discover the ranking of the Golden Boot

1 – Erling Haaland (NOR, Manchester City): 50 points (25 goals)
2 – Amahl Pellegrino (NOR, Bodo / Glimt): 37.5 points (25 goals)
3 – Harry Kane (ING, Tottenham): 32 points (16 goals)
4 – Bobur Abdikholikov (UZB, BGU Minsk): 26 points (26 goals)
Ivan Toney (ING, Brentford): 26 points (13 goals)
Kylian Mbappé (FRA, Paris Saint-Germain): 26 points (13 goals)
Robert Lewandowski (POL, Barcelona): 26 points (13 goals)
Victor Osimhen (NIG, Napoli): 26 points (13 goals)
9 – Kyogo Furuhashi (JAP, Celtic): 25.5 points (17 goals)
10 – Christopher Nkunku (FRA, RB Leipzig): 24 points (12 goals)
Hugo Vetlesen (NOR, Bodo/Glimt): 24 points (16 goals)
Jairo (BRA, Paphos): 24 points (16 goals)
Jonathan David (CAN, Lille): 24 points (12 goals)
Lawrence Shankland (ESC, Heart of Midlothian): 24 points (16 goals)
Raimond Krollis (LET, Valmiera): 24 points (24 goals)
Terem Moffi (NIG, Lorient): 24 points (12 goals)