In 1953, the Spanish sports newspaper Marca created the award for La Ligaโs top goalscorer and named it the Trofeo Pichichi in honor of Rafael โPichichiโ Moreno Aranzadi (1892โ1922). A prolific early star for Athletic Bilbao, Pichichi was renowned for his skill, speed, and goal-scoring ability before he died young from typhus.
Instead of adopting a simple โGolden Bootโ name, Marca chose this personal tribute to celebrate Spanish football history. The trophy has been awarded every season since 1953, with retroactive winners later added for earlier years.