He came from a league most fans couldn't find on a map. Honestly, if you asked a casual football fan back in August who would be the La Liga top scorer 2024, they would’ve bet their house on Robert Lewandowski. Maybe Jude Bellingham after that scorching start.
But football is weird.
Artem Dovbyk, a guy who was playing in Ukraine for SC Dnipro-1 just a year ago, ended up walking away with the Pichichi Trophy. He didn't just win it; he snatched it during a chaotic final month that saw the lead change hands like a hot potato.
The Wild Race for the Pichichi 2024
It wasn't a one-man show. Not even close. For a long time, it looked like Alexander Sørloth was going to pull off the heist of the century. The Villarreal striker—who has since moved to Atletico Madrid—scored four goals in a single game against Real Madrid in May. Four. Against the champions.
That massive haul put him in the driver’s seat.
But Dovbyk had other ideas. On the very last day of the season, Girona played Granada. Dovbyk needed a hat-trick to overtake Sørloth. Most people figured the race was over, but Granada’s defense basically went on vacation. Dovbyk netted three, finished with 24 goals, and secured his place in Spanish history.
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Here is how the final standings actually looked:
- Artem Dovbyk (Girona): 24 goals
- Alexander Sørloth (Villarreal): 23 goals
- Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona): 19 goals
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid): 19 goals
- Ante Budimir (Osasuna): 17 goals
Why this win was actually historic
You've gotta realize how rare this is. Since 2004, the Pichichi has been a private club for Real Madrid and Barcelona players. Diego Forlán (Atletico) broke the streak once, but other than that? It's been Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez, Benzema, and Lewandowski.
Dovbyk winning it with Girona—a team that was in the second division just a few years ago—is basically the Leicester City of individual awards.
What happened to the big names?
People keep asking: "How did Bellingham and Lewandowski lose?"
It's a fair question. Bellingham was the favorite for months. He was playing this weird "false 10" role that allowed him to late-crash the box constantly. But then, reality caught up. He picked up a few injuries, a couple of suspensions, and his scoring rate naturally cooled down as he started focusing more on build-up play.
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Lewandowski, on the other hand, had a weird year. Barcelona struggled for identity under Xavi, and "Lewy" went through some serious dry spells. He finished with 19, which isn't bad for a mortal, but for a guy who once scored 41 in a Bundesliga season? It felt like a slump.
The Sørloth Heartbreak
Alexander Sørloth is the guy I feel for. Imagine scoring 23 goals—none of which were penalties—and still losing. Dovbyk's 24 goals included seven penalties. If you strip away the spot-kicks, Sørloth was far and away the most clinical striker in the league.
That’s the thing about the La Liga top scorer 2024 title. It doesn't care how you score 'em, just that they hit the back of the net.
The Girona Effect
You can't talk about Dovbyk without talking about Girona's manager, Míchel. They played this hyper-aggressive, attacking football that basically treated defending as an afterthought. It was a striker's dream.
Dovbyk wasn't just a poacher, either. He finished the season with 8 assists. He was the focal point of everything they did.
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Think about it. A guy joins a mid-sized club for around €7 million and outscores the most expensive players on the planet. It's the kind of story that makes people love (or hate) the transfer market.
Common Misconceptions About the 2024 Pichichi
I see a lot of people online saying Dovbyk won because the league is "weaker" now. That's kinda lazy.
The defensive blocks in Spain are notoriously hard to break. Ask any striker who moves from the Premier League to La Liga; they’ll tell you there’s zero space. Winning the golden boot with 24 goals in this environment is actually more impressive than scoring 30 in a league where everyone plays a high line.
Also, people forget that Dovbyk is the first Ukrainian to ever win it. That’s a massive deal given what's happening back in his home country.
Actionable Takeaway for Fans and Bettors
If you’re looking at future seasons, the 2024 race proved two things:
- Don't ignore the "mid-table" giants. Teams like Villarreal and Girona are increasingly built around a single "talisman" striker, making them better bets for top scorer than teams like Real Madrid where the goals are shared between five different superstars.
- Penalties matter. Always check who the designated penalty taker is. Dovbyk's seven goals from the spot were the literal difference between him being #1 and him being #3.
- The "May Surge" is real. Striking form in the final four weeks of the Spanish season is historically high because teams in the middle of the table often stop defending once they're safe from relegation.
Keep an eye on where these players are now. Dovbyk moved to AS Roma in the summer of 2024, and Sørloth is now the main man for Atleti. The landscape has changed, but the lessons from the 2023-24 season remain. If you want to track the current race, look for high-volume shooters on teams that prioritize width and crossing, as that was the secret sauce for both Dovbyk and Sørloth.