da esport bet： The Portuguese legend clinched the prize three years ago, but he'll face some stiff goalscoring competition in Germany
da luck： The Golden Boot has a storied history at the European Championship, with some of the game's most illustrious players securing the award down the years.
In 1972, legendary German poacher Gerd Muller saw his name etched on the trophy, while Michel Platini strengthened his own playing legacy with a remarkable nine-goal haul in the 1984 edition in France. More recently, record Premier League goal-getter Alan Shearer has won the Golden Boot, while David Villa, Fernando Torres and, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo also have the gong in their sizable trophy cabinets.
But sometimes the winner of the top-scorer award can come out of leftfield. In 2004, Milan Baros could not buy a goal heading into the tournament in Portugal. But by the time all was said and done, nobody had bettered his haul. "If somebody told me beforehand I would score five goals in this tournament I wouldn't have believed them," Baros himself admitted.
But where is the Euro 2024 Golden Boot heading this summer? Will an established name prove the bookies right and run away with it, or might we see a surprise package capture the world's attention in Germany? GOAL has taken a look at some of the runners and riders to be top scorer at the tournament.
Getty Images15Patrick Schick (Czech Republic)
Schick was spectacular at Euro 2020, only losing out on the Golden Boot to Cristiano Ronaldo as the timeless Portuguese forward registered more assists. The Czech star will be hopeful of another strong showing this time out, with his nation set for eminently winnable group-stage clashes against Turkey and Georgia.
Net a few goals in those games and Schick will only be a strong knockout-stage away from putting himself in serious contention for the Golden Boot once more. His club form for Bayer Leverkusen has been solid this season too, while he's averaging around a goal every two caps for his country.
AdvertisementGetty Images14Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia)
There's no doubting Mitrovic's ability to find the back of the net. He's shown that at club level this season, netting 28 times in as many Saudi Pro League games as Al-Hilal went the entire campaign without losing a domestic match.
His record for Serbia is just as impressive, too. He may be scoreless in his last four caps, but he still boasts 57 strikes in 89 games – enough to make him his country's all-time leading scorer by a comfortable margin. If Serbia can surprise the odds and make it through a group containing Denmark, Slovenia and England, expect Mitrovic to be in with a good chance of winning the Golden Boot.
Getty Images13Leroy Sane (Germany)
Sane heads into this home Euros with a point to prove. In his last outing for the national team, which came all the way back in November 2023, he was sent off and subsequently banned for three games after pushing Austria's Philipp Mwene in the face.
Sane's Bayern Munich performances have been criticised at times this season too, but manager Julian Nagelsmann and veteran Toni Kroos have both defended him publicly. The former Manchester City man is electric on his day, but has always been a bit streaky. If he can hit form in time for the Euros, he'll be difficult to stop.
Getty Images12Antoine Griezmann (France)
Griezmann has a strong pedigree in the European Championship, comfortably finishing as top scorer in the 2016 iteration with six goals. But after losing in that final to Portugal, and failing to make an impact five years later, the Atletico Madrid icon will be especially motivated to perform in Germany.
He looks in good nick too, having scored 24 times for his club this season, though his recent goal record at international level is far from illustrious. He's much more of a facilitator for France than he is for Atleti, but that does not mean he won't get a few goals of his own at the tournament.