The iconic Henri Delaunay Trophy may be the ultimate prize at this summer’s European Championship, but for individual players there is also the chance to finish top scorer and take home the Golden Boot.
Gerd Muller, Marco van Basten, Alan Shearer and Fernando Torres are among those to have topped the scoring charts over the years.
So who will do so this time?
Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
Romelu Lukaku will be well fancied by many after hitting 14 goals to break the scoring record for a single European Championship qualifying campaign. The 31-year-old is Belgium’s all-time top scorer with 83 goals in 114 appearances and this summer’s Euros will be his sixth major tournament with the Red Devils. He took home the Bronze Boot at the 2018 World Cup after scoring four times in seven appearances.
Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)
Cody Gakpo looks to be the main contender for the Golden Boot from the Netherlands. The Liverpool forward was their top scorer at the 2022 World Cup with three goals, after scoring in all three of their group games. The 25-year-old has nine goals in 23 international appearances overall.
Gianluca Scamacca (Italy)
Fans who regularly watch the Premier League will probably remember Gianluca Scamacca for his short-lived spell at West Ham during the 2022-23 season, where he managed just three league goals. But the 25-year-old has rediscovered his best form since returning to Atalanta, scoring 19 times in all competitions to help the Italian side win the Europa League. He scored his first goal for Italy in their qualifying defeat by England at Wembley in October.
Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
Robert Lewandowski’s Poland broke Welsh hearts with a play-off victory on penalties to become one of the final sides to secure their place in Germany. The 35-year-old certainly knows where the net is. He is Poland’s all-time top scorer with 82 goals in 148 appearances and has scored more than 600 times for club and country over his 19-year career. He scored three goals in as many appearances at Euro 2020 and this summer’s Euros will be his sixth major international tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Another player who needs no introduction. Footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is showing little sign of slowing down even at the age of 39. He is international football’s all-time top scorer with 128 goals for Portugal and the record appearance maker with 206 caps. This summer will be his 12th international tournament and gives him the chance to win back-to-back Golden Boots, after topping the scoring charts at Euro 2020 with five goals.
Harry Kane (England)
England’s all-time top scorer Harry Kane will again be central to their hopes of ending 58 years of hurt this summer. The Three Lions captain goes into tournament off the back of a prolific first season with Bayern Munich, where he scored 45 goals in 45 games. Despite a successful campaign personally, Kane’s long wait for a first career honour goes on as Bayern ended the campaign trophyless.
Kylian Mbappe (France)
Prolific France striker Kylian Mbappe is the bookies’ favourite to be top scorer at Euro 2024. The 25-year-old has scored 46 goals in just 77 appearances for Les Bleus, who are aiming to lift the trophy for a third time after victories in 1984 and 2000. Mbappe won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup with eight goals – including a hat-trick in that epic final defeat by Argentina.
Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark)
Rasmus Hojlund is a rising star of Danish football who already looks at home on the international stage. The 21-year-old scored a hat-trick on his international debut in a European qualifier against Finland in March 2023 and ended the campaign as their top scorer with seven goals in eight appearances. He cost Manchester United £72m from Atalanta last summer and despite an up-and-down season managed to scored 16 goals in 43 games in all competitions as the Red Devils lifted the FA Cup.
Scott McTominay (Scotland)
Scott McTominay was Scotland’s talisman during their qualifying campaign as the Tartan Army reached their second successive European Championship. The 27-year-old finished as his country’s top scorer in qualifying with seven goals, with only Lukaku, Kane and Ronaldo scoring more. Like club-mate Rasmus Hojlund, McTominay heads to Germany in buoyant mood after helping Manchester United beat rivals Manchester City to win the FA Cup.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia)
Aleksandar Mitrovic is a key presence for Serbia as they prepare for their first European Championship as an independent nation. The 29-year-old Serbia’s all-time top scorer with 57 goals in 89 appearances and topped their scoring charts in qualifying with five. Mitrovic has enjoyed a prolific season at domestic level after leaving Fulham for the Saudi Pro League in August, hitting 39 goals in just 42 appearances in all competitions as Al Hilal won the title.
Zeki Amdouni (Switzerland)
Zeki Amdouni was one of the breakout stars in European qualifying, scoring six goals in just five appearances as Switzerland qualified for their sixth successive major tournament. They have only gone beyond the last 16 once in that time – reaching the quarter-finals at Euro 2020. If they are to go far in 2024 then Amdouni, who scored six goals in 36 games for relegated Burnley last season, is likely to be a key figure.
Alvaro Morata (Spain)
As well as leading the line, Alvaro Morata will also captain Spain as they look to lift the trophy for a third time. The experienced Atletico Madrid forward, who spent three years at Chelsea between 2017 and 2020, has scored 34 goals in 74 international appearances. No other player in Spain’s Euro 2024 squad has yet reached double figures.
Niclas Fullkrug (Germany)
Niclas Fullkrug may have had to wait until he was 29 to make his international debut, but he is certainly making the most of the opportunity. The Borussia Dortmund striker, now 31, has scored 11 goals in 15 international appearances and is set to spearhead the hosts’ attack this summer. He scored 15 goals for Dortmund last season to help them reach the Champions League final, where they were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid.