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Who Will Be The Top Goalscorer At Euro 2024: Kane, Mbappe, Or Ronaldo?
Among them are some of the best attacking players of recent years, including the clear winner of the most recent Golden Boot race in Europe’s big five leagues.
Here are some of the players to watch out for as potential contenders for the Euro 2024 Golden Boot:
Harry Kane (England)
Harry Kane With Golden Boot
English captain, Harry Kane, seamlessly transitioned to his new club, FC Bayern Munich, following his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur.
In his first season in the Bundesliga, he netted an impressive 36 goals in 32 matches, surpassing all other players in the top five European leagues during the 2023/24 season by at least eight goals.
This remarkable feat established a new record for the best debut season in Bundesliga history.
He was also involved in 12 goals in the UEFA Champions League in the 2023/24 season (8 goals, 4 assists); the most ever by an English player in a single edition of the competition.
Additionally, he has set the record for the highest number of goals scored for England in both total (63) and major competitions (12 goals in World Cups and Euros).
In the past three major tournaments, Kylian Mbappé from France is the only player to match Kane’s goal tally, with 12 goals each in the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020, and 2022 World Cup.
Indeed, Kane either scored or assisted in each of his seven starts during qualification for Euro 2024 (8 goals, 2 assists).
Harry Kane should be able to build early momentum due to a favorable draw in the group stage. Slovenia is making their first finals appearance since 2000, while Serbia is participating in the Euros for the first time as an independent state.
Kane’s crucial goal against Denmark in the Euro 2020 semi-finals highlights his potential for seizing opportunities.
Among the 12 teams that have played over 20 games in the UEFA European Championship finals, Denmark holds the highest average goals per game at 2.79, with 42 goals scored and 50 goals conceded.
Kylian Mbappé (France)
Kylian Mbappe With World Cup 2022 Golden Boot
The recent Real Madrid signing, who secured the Golden Boot with eight goals as Les Bleus clinched second place at the 2022 World Cup, is once more considered a top contender to lead the goalscoring charts.
Despite having scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup games, and appearing set to smash Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals, Mbappé failed to score in his only previous UEFA European Championship campaign (4 games at Euro 2020).
After a season in which Mbappé scored 44 goals in 47 games across all competitions a total only matched by Kane (44 in 45 games) among players from Europe’s big five leagues, few would anticipate a repeat for the 2024 edition.
In addition, he netted nine goals in eight Euro 2024 qualifying games. France might rely less on a single star compared to other nations, given Didier Deschamps’ variety of attacking choices and the potential for Mbappé to operate on the left wing.
Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
Belgium Striker Romelu Lukaku
With 85 goals in 115 international appearances, the Roma forward has become Belgium’s top scorer of all time.
While he has netted eleven goals in major competitions (World Cups/Euros), his performance in Qatar 18 months ago was lackluster, with only two goals in knockout matches for his country.
Nonetheless, he should not be overlooked in the Golden Boot race at this year’s tournament.
At 31 years old, he set a new record for the most goals in a single qualification campaign by scoring an impressive 14 times in eight Euro 2024 qualifiers.
His outstanding performance saw him average a goal every 39 minutes, with almost half of his shots finding the back of the net (29 goals), representing 63.6% of Belgium’s 22 total goals in the qualification round.
Romelu Lukaku can look forward to a promising start as Belgium’s Group E rivals include Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine.
In 2023/24, he led all Premier League players in chances created (3.37) and expected assists (0.42 xA) per 90. Jérémy Doku, a teammate from Belgium and De Bruyne’s City, ranks third for chances created (2.49) and second for xA per 90 (0.33) in the Premier League. Lukaku shouldn’t struggle to find chances.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo with his 2023-24 Saudi Pro League Golden Boot Award
During Euro 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, excelled in only four matches, surpassing Czechia’s Patrik Schick to claim the Golden Boot with five goals and one assist.
In many ways, this tournament belongs to Ronaldo. His UEFA European Championships records include the highest number of goals (14), most appearances (25), and joint-highest number of assists (6, data collected since 1972), along with the most editions where he has scored at least one goal (5).
Since 1972, Ronaldo has been involved in twice as many goals as any other player at the Euros (20 goals, 6 assists), with Michel Platini coming in a distant second (10 goals, 9 assists).
As players age, concerns have arisen regarding the 39-year-old’s contribution to Portugal, particularly after his transfer from Manchester United to Al Nassr after the 2022 World Cup.
While he might not currently dominate European club football, Ronaldo set a new record for the most goals in a single season in the Saudi Pro League during 2023/24, netting 35 goals, exceeding his xG total of 30.68.
Furthermore, he scored 10 goals in nine Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Though there are still concerns about Ronaldo’s ability to operate in a cohesive off-the-ball structure, it is obvious that he will take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.
He should not have to contend with subpar service either. In 2023/24 (across all competitions), three Portuguese players ranked among the top ten players in Europe’s major five leagues for creating the most open-play chances. Bruno Fernandes led the pack with 111 opportunities, followed by Bernardo Silva in eighth place with 84, and Rafael Leão tied for ninth with 82.
Outsiders
While these four players are the prime contenders for the Golden Boot, the following players should also not be overlooked:
Patrik Schick (Czech Republic)
The Bayer Leverkusen striker finds the net, on average, every other game for the Czech Republic (with 19 goals in 38 games), a rate that improves even further during the European Championship finals.
In his only appearance at Euro 2020, he scored five goals in five matches, matching Ronaldo’s total and outscoring all other players.
His tally of five goals also makes him Czechia’s joint-top scorer at the UEFA European Championships, alongside Milan Baros, who played twice as many games (10) as Schick.
Arriving at Euro 2024 filled with confidence, the 28-year-old from Prague recently achieved a historic milestone by securing the first double in Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s history (Bundesliga and DFB Pokal titles).
Despite facing several absences due to injury during the 2023/24 season at the club level, Schick showcased his ability by scoring 13 goals in 33 games, with an impressive tally achieved from just 18 starting appearances.
Álvaro Morata (Spain)
During the 2023/24 season, Morata scored 15 goals in 27 La Liga matches for Atlético Madrid, matching his previous record for the most goals in a season in one of Europe’s major five leagues, a feat he accomplished by also netting 15 goals for Real Madrid in the 2016-17 season.
Despite some missed chances at Euro 2020, Morata’s overall display at the European Championship finals has been commendable across 10 appearances.
Thierry Henry, Patrick Kluivert, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Morata share the fifth spot in the competition’s historical goalscoring rankings, each having scored six goals.
Gianluca Scamacca (Italy)
Gianluca Scamacca Lifting UEFA Europa League Trophy 2023/24
While Scamacca has only found the net once in 16 appearances for Italy, the ex-West Ham forward merits consideration for the starting lineup if coach Luciano Spalletti prioritizes current form.
His impressive performance in the 2023/24 season saw him bag 19 goals for Atalanta across all competitions, a significant contrast to his expected goals (xG) total of 11.2, showcasing a surplus of 7.8 goals.
He also finished the domestic season by winning the UEFA Europa League for the Italian side, so the 25-year-old striker will be heading to Germany with a lot of confidence.
Rasmus Højlund (Denmark)
Rasmus Højlund With FA Cup 2023/24 Season
Scoring seven goals during the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Højlund topped Denmark’s charts for shots taken (23), shots on target (13), and expected goals (xG) with 5.2.
While his first season at Manchester United was unremarkable, he concluded it with a flourish by finding the back of the net in his last two Premier League matches and playing a key role in their FA Cup triumph.
He scored in six back-to-back Premier League matches (7 goals) between December 2023 and February 2024.
If he can carry this form into the UEFA European Championships this summer, he might become a top contender for the Golden Boot award.
